Hyphenation ofnarrow-mindedness

Linguistic Analysis of "narrow-mindedness" (English (GB))

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "narrow-mindedness" is pronounced with a relatively consistent articulation in GB English. The 'r' is typically pronounced post-vocalically, and vowel qualities are standard Received Pronunciation (RP).

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: narrow- (Old English neah, meaning 'near' + widu, meaning 'wide'. Function: Adjective formation, indicating limited scope.)
• Root: mind (Old English ge-mind, meaning 'memory, thought'. Function: Noun/Verb root relating to cognitive processes.)
• Suffix: -ed (Old English -ed. Function: Past tense/past participle marker, but here part of the adjectival formation.)
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes. Function: Noun formation, creating a state or quality.)

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the first syllable: nar-row-mind-ed-ness.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈnæroʊˌmaɪndɪdnəs/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• nar /nɑːr/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rime structure. 'n' is the onset, 'ar' is the rime. No exceptions.
• row /roʊ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rime structure. 'r' is the onset, 'ow' is the rime. Diphthong 'ow' is common.
• mind /maɪnd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rime structure. 'm' is the onset, 'ind' is the rime. The 'd' closes the syllable.
• ed /ɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rime structure. 'd' is the onset, 'ed' is the rime. This is a common past tense/participle suffix.
• ness /nəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Onset-Rime structure. 'n' is the onset, 'ess' is the rime. The 's' closes the syllable.

7. Edge Case Review:

The "-ed" suffix can sometimes be pronounced /t/ or /d/ depending on the preceding sound. Here, it's pronounced /ɪd/ because it follows a /n/ sound.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Narrow-mindedness" functions primarily as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function (as it's not a verb or adjective that changes form).

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of having a prejudiced or inflexible outlook; unwillingness to consider different viewpoints.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: intolerance, prejudice, bigotry, close-mindedness
• Antonyms: open-mindedness, tolerance, liberalism
• Examples: "His narrow-mindedness prevented him from understanding their culture." "She showed a remarkable lack of narrow-mindedness."

10. Phonological Comparison:

• followership: fol-low-er-ship (4 syllables). Similar structure with suffixes.
• friendliness: friend-li-ness (3 syllables). Similar suffix '-ness', but different vowel sounds.
• happiness: hap-pi-ness (3 syllables). Similar suffix '-ness', but different vowel sounds and stress pattern.

The syllable division in "narrow-mindedness" is consistent with these words, following the onset-rime structure and suffix attachment rules. The difference in syllable count is due to the length and complexity of the root word ("narrow-mind" vs. "friend", "hap").

11. Division Rules:

• Onset-Rime: Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant sound(s)) and rime (vowel and any following consonants).
• Vowel-Consonant-e: In words with a silent 'e' at the end, the vowel-consonant combination before the 'e' often forms a syllable. (Not directly applicable here, but a common rule).
• Suffix Attachment: Suffixes are generally separated into their own syllables.

12. Special Considerations:

The compound nature of "narrow-minded" could potentially lead to debate about whether it should be treated as a single unit for syllabification. However, the standard practice is to divide it based on the individual morphemes and phonetic structure.

13. Short Analysis:

"Narrow-mindedness" is a five-syllable word with primary stress on the first syllable. It's formed from the prefix "narrow-", the root "mind", and the suffixes "-ed" and "-ness". Syllable division follows the onset-rime structure and suffix attachment rules of English.