Linguistic morphology is the study of the structure and formation of words in a language. It examines how smaller units of meaning, called morphemes, combine to create words. Morphemes can be roots, prefixes, or suffixes, and they help convey different meanings or grammatical functions. Morphology is essential for understanding how languages evolve and how words change over time. For example, the addition of a suffix can alter a word's tense or number, such as changing "walk" to "walking." By analyzing these patterns, linguists gain insights into the rules and systems that govern language.