A root in linguistics refers to the base or core part of a word, which holds the primary meaning of the word. It is the part of the word that is left after removing any prefixes or suffixes. Roots are fundamental units of words that carry the main semantic content or information.
For example, in the word "unhappiness," the root is "happy." By removing the prefix "un-" and the suffix "-ness," you are left with the root "happy," which conveys the essential meaning of the word.
In summary, a root is the base or core part of a word that contains its main meaning and remains after removing any affixes.
