Which term describes the smallest unit of language that carries some meaning?

The term that describes the smallest unit of language that carries some meaning is a morpheme. Morphemes can be as simple as a single word, such as "cat," or they can be prefixes or suffixes that modify the meaning of a word, such as "un-" in "unhappy" or "-ing" in "running." They play a crucial role in forming words and conveying meaning in a language.

This distinction is important in understanding language structure. While phonemes are the smallest units of sound that distinguish one word from another, they do not carry meaning by themselves. Lexemes refer to the abstract unit of meaning represented by a word, but they encompass more than just the smallest meaningful units. Syllables are units of sound comprising a vowel sound and possibly surrounding consonants but do not inherently contain meaning. Thus, morphemes specifically focus on meaningful components within the language, making them the correct answer.