Hyphenation ofmaladministration

Linguistic Analysis of "maladministration" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "maladministration" is pronounced /ˌmælædmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən/ in General British English. It's a complex word with multiple morphemes and a relatively predictable stress pattern.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only the original letters, is: mal-ad-min-is-tra-tion

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: mal- (Latin, meaning 'bad' or 'wrong'). Morphological function: Derivational, negating the meaning of the root.
• Root: administer (Latin administrare - 'to manage, direct'). Morphological function: Lexical root, providing the core meaning.
• Suffix: -ation (Latin, forming nouns from verbs). Morphological function: Derivational, creating a noun of action or state.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable: mal-ad-min-is-tra-tion. Secondary stress is present on the first syllable: mal-ad-min-is-tra-tion.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌmælædmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-ad-" can sometimes be a point of syllabification ambiguity, but in this case, it's clearly separated due to the vowel sounds and the overall structure of the word. The "-tion" ending is a common suffix and follows standard syllabification rules.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Maladministration" primarily functions as a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to use it adjectivally (e.g., "maladministration practices"), the stress pattern and syllabification would remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Improper or corrupt administration; the mismanagement of public affairs.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: misgovernment, mismanagement, corruption, inefficiency
• Antonyms: good governance, efficient administration
• Examples: "The inquiry revealed widespread maladministration within the department."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Administration: ad-min-is-tra-tion. Similar syllable structure, stress on "tra".
• Misadministration: mis-ad-min-is-tra-tion. Addition of "mis-" shifts the stress slightly but maintains the core syllable structure.
• Communication: com-mu-ni-ca-tion. While sharing the "-tion" suffix, the initial syllables differ significantly, demonstrating the influence of the root morpheme.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown & Rules:

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

The word's length and multiple morphemes make it complex, but it doesn't present any significant exceptions to standard English syllabification rules. The stress pattern is typical for words of this structure.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-C-V Rule: A syllable typically ends with a vowel sound.
2. Consonant-Vowel Rule: Consonants generally cluster with the following vowel.
3. Suffix Rule: Common suffixes like "-tion" are typically separated into their own syllable.