What is the outcome when a derivational morpheme is attached to a noun?

When a derivational morpheme is attached to a noun, it typically forms a new noun that is related in meaning to the original noun. Derivational morphemes are elements added to a base word to create a new word with a different and often more specific meaning. For example, adding "-ness" to the adjective "happy" forms the noun "happiness," which shares a conceptual link to the original word but signifies a different state or concept. This process showcases how derivational morphology functions to expand vocabulary by creating new terms while maintaining a conceptual connection to the root.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately reflect the effects of adding derivational morphemes in the context of changing a noun. For instance, attaching a derivational morpheme does not typically change a noun into an adverb; this process usually involves a different kind of morpheme. Similarly, pluralizing a noun involves an inflectional morpheme, not a derivational one, which changes the number of the noun rather than creates a new word. Additionally, while some derivational morphemes may not significantly alter the meaning of the base word, they usually provide some semantic shift, thereby ruling out any substantial lack of change in meaning.