Hyphenation ofall-prevailingness

Analysis of "all-prevailingness" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "all-prevailingness" is relatively complex, containing multiple morphemes and potential points of syllabic division. The pronunciation in GB English will influence the syllable breakdown. We'll assume a Received Pronunciation (RP) accent as a baseline.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, we prioritize vowel sounds as syllable nuclei. Consonant clusters are generally broken according to the principle of maximizing onsets (placing consonants at the beginning of syllables where possible).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: all- (Old English, intensifying prefix) - functions as an intensifier.
• Root: prevail- (Old French prevailer from Latin praevalere - 'to be stronger, overcome') - meaning to prove more powerful than opposing forces.
• Suffix: -ing- (Old English present participle suffix) - forming a gerund or present participle.
• Suffix: -ness- (Old English -nes from Proto-Germanic -nass) - forming a noun denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: pre-vail-ing-ness. This is typical for words with multiple suffixes.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɔːl prɪˈveɪlɪŋnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "-ingness" suffix is somewhat unusual and requires careful consideration. The 'n' sound is often syllabified with the preceding vowel, creating a closed syllable.

7. Grammatical Role:

"All-prevailingness" functions solely as a noun. There are no significant syllabification or stress shifts if it were to function as another part of speech.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of being overwhelmingly powerful or influential.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: dominance, ascendancy, supremacy, ubiquity
• Antonyms: weakness, impotence, insignificance
• Examples: "The all-prevailingness of social media in modern life is undeniable."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• happiness: hap-pi-ness - Similar suffix structure (-ness). Stress on the second syllable.
• interesting: in-ter-est-ing - Similar "-ing" suffix. Stress on the second syllable.
• unbelievable: un-be-liev-a-ble - Similar prefix structure ("un-"). Stress on the third syllable.

The differences in syllable division and stress placement are due to the length and complexity of the root word and the number of morphemes. "All-prevailingness" has a longer root and more suffixes, leading to a different stress pattern.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Nucleus Rule: Every syllable must have a vowel sound as its nucleus.
2. Onset Maximization Rule: Consonant clusters are assigned to the onset of the syllable whenever possible.
3. Coda Rule: Consonants following the vowel nucleus form the coda.
4. Suffix Division Rule: Suffixes are generally separated into individual syllables.

Special Considerations:

The "-ingness" combination is relatively rare and can lead to some ambiguity in syllabification. However, breaking it into "ing-ness" maintains consistency with the general rules of English syllabification.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might reduce the vowel in "all" to a schwa /ɔːl/ -> /ə/, but this doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.