allomorphicadj.1
/ˌaləˈmɔːfɪk/, U.S. /ˌæləˈmɔrfɪk/ Mineralogy and Chemistry.
Of the nature of an allomorph (allomorph n.1); displaying allomorphism.
ΚΠ
1866 W. King & T. H. Rowney in Q. Jrnl. Geol. Soc. 22 i. 193 There is an allomorphic variety of serpentine known as chrysolite.
1918 J. M. Macfarlane Causes & Course Org. Evol. i. 5 Carbon is not only allomorphic as occurring naturally in the forms of charcoal, graphite, and diamond; it is also solid at ordinary and even high temperatures.
1964 Science 20 Mar. 1288/1 These two enzymatically active proteins may be allomorphic forms of α-chymotrypsin.
2009 Carbohydrate Res. 344 1558/2 They contained polydisperse platelet nanocrystals that retained the allomorphic type of the parent granules.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
allomorphicadj.2
/ˌaləˈmɔːfɪk/, U.S. /ˌæləˈmɔrfɪk/ Linguistics.
Of the nature of or constituting an allomorph; involving or characterized by allomorphs.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [adjective] > relating to morphs or allomorphs
morph1947
allomorphic1949
1949 E. A. Nida Morphol. (ed. 2) ii. 21 Allomorphic differences of tone may be described in terms of different tonal surroundings.
1990 Trans. Philol. Soc. 88 46 The preposition endings show..wide allomorphic variation, with no predictable pattern, forms occurring which are idiosyncratic to a given preposition.
2011 A. Haselow Typological Changes in Lexicon xi. 225 Suffixes may have several allomorphic variants whose distribution is regulated by the phonological properties of the base form.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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