Hyphenation ofmeter-candle-second

Linguistic Analysis of "meter-candle-second" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation:

The word "meter-candle-second" is a compound noun formed by combining "meter," "candle," and "second." The pronunciation in GB English is approximately /ˌmiːtəˈkændl̩ˌsɛkənd/.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows: me-ter-can-dle-sec-ond.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• meter: Root (Greek metron meaning "measure"). Morphological function: Noun, unit of measurement.
• candle: Root (Old English candel meaning "candle"). Morphological function: Noun, source of light.
• second: Root (Latin secundus meaning "following"). Morphological function: Noun, unit of time.

The compound structure doesn't involve prefixes or suffixes in the traditional sense; each component functions as a complete morpheme within the larger compound.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the "can" syllable of "candle": /ˌmiːtəˈkændl̩ˌsɛkənd/. Secondary stress is present on "me" in "meter" and "sec" in "second".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌmiːtəˈkændl̩ˌsɛkənd/

6. Edge Case Review:

Compound words can sometimes exhibit varying stress patterns depending on usage and emphasis. However, the given stress pattern is the most common and natural pronunciation in GB English. The syllabic consonant /l̩/ in "candle" is a common feature of British English pronunciation.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word functions solely as a compound noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if it were to function as a different part of speech, as it is not adaptable in that way.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of a minute, measured using a meter candle. Historically, a meter candle was a standardized candle used to measure time.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: (archaic) moment, instant
• Antonyms: (relative) eternity, age
• Examples: "The experiment was timed in meter-candle-seconds." "The early astronomers used meter-candle-seconds to measure the duration of celestial events."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• waterfall: wa-ter-fall. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC-CVC). Stress on the first syllable.
• sunflower: sun-flow-er. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC-CVC). Stress on the first syllable.
• bedroom: bed-room. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC). Stress on the first syllable.

The difference lies in the length and complexity of the compound. "meter-candle-second" is a longer compound with more syllables, leading to secondary stresses on "me" and "sec". The presence of the syllabic /l̩/ in "candle" is also a distinguishing feature.

Syllable Breakdown Details:

• me: /miː/ - Open syllable, vowel followed by glide. Rule: Vowel sounds carry their own syllable.
• ter: /tə/ - Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the first vowel.
• can: /kæn/ - Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the first vowel. Primary stress.
• dle: /dl̩/ - Closed syllable, consonant cluster followed by syllabic consonant. Rule: Syllabic consonants form their own syllable.
• sec: /sɛk/ - Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the first vowel. Secondary stress.
• ond: /ənd/ - Closed syllable, consonant-vowel-consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the first vowel.

Exceptions/Special Cases:

The syllabic /l/ in "candle" is a common exception to the typical CVC syllable structure.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Rule: Each vowel sound generally forms a syllable.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the first vowel.
3. Syllabic Consonant Rule: Syllabic consonants (/l/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/) form their own syllable.

Special Considerations:

The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morpheme boundaries. The pronunciation of "candle" with a syllabic /l/ is a characteristic of GB English.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the given pronunciation is standard for GB English, some regional variations might exist in stress placement or vowel quality.