Please try to define the word "Word"?

Question

what is a word?

In some places clicks or mannerism could be considered words... so its not just morphemes and phonemes.

Answer 1

A word is the smallest "piece" of speech that has its own meaning.

mean is a word, meaning is a word, but -ing is NOT a word, it is a morpheme.

Languages are broken up into phonemes (sounds) morphemes (particles you add to other words to give them special meanings) words, phrases, clauses, and sentences.

So again, a "word" is the smallest discreet part of speech.

Answer 2

A word is a unit of language that carries meaning and consists of one or more morphemes which are linked more or less tightly together, and has a phonetical value.

Wikipedia, so good...

Also Word can mean the Word of God. Or The Word.

And from the Wiktonary,

1. (linguistics) A distinct unit of language (sounds in speech or written letters) with a particular meaning, composed of one or more morphemes, and also of one or more phonemes that determine its sound pattern.
* 1594: William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, II.ii —
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
2. Something promised.

I give you my word that I will be there on time.

3. (computing) A numerical value with a bit width native to the machine.
4. (theology) (sometimes Word) God (see John 1)
5. (theology; sometimes Word) The Bible.

Answer 3

This is a bit hazy in my memory but lets call it (almost) any number of morphemes (which are "meaning bearing units" - so happy has one morpheme, unhappy has two)

Or its (almost) any number of phonemes strung together to make a word.

The problem comes with fillers like "basically, at the end of the day, it's like, you know what I mean?" which are still words but don't necessarily carry any meaning at all in the context of the sentence. Or things like "Hmmm.., uh-huh" or deliberate coughs etc, which might carry meaning and not be words.

In short it's tricky to define the word "word"

Answer 4

A Word is like If, because If is a word. Now If one considers the meaning of If and especially as a Word then the answer becomes clear, If and only If, and when and now.

Answer 5

A WORD is anything (bunch of letters together, facial or corporal gestures, numbers, symbols, sounds) that communicates some information about something.

Answer 6

a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning. Words are composed of one or more morphemes and are either the smallest units susceptible of independent use or consist of two or three such units combined under certain linking conditions, as with the loss of primary accent that distinguishes blackʹbirdʹ from blackʹ birdʹ. Words are usually separated by spaces in writing, and are distinguished phonologically, as by accent, in many languages.

Answer 7

A word is an oral or written transmission of an idea, thing, person, place, action, or other concept. Words have been classified into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositons, evocative expressions, and more.

Using the capital "W," we have the Word as a metaphor for Jesus, who was G-d made flesh, incarnate as He became, carrying G-d's message, i.e. Verbum Divinum, the Divine Word.

Answer 8

A word is a word, I just typed 8 words,oops nine, it's never ending.

Answer 9

Word is a word that when used means word.

Answer 10

A piece of language that humans beings use to communicate