Hyphenation ofentertainingness

Linguistic Analysis of "entertainingness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "entertainingness" is pronounced /ˌɛntərˈteɪnɪŋnəs/ in General American English. It's a complex word formed through derivational morphology.

2. Syllable Division:

en-ter-tain-ing-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: en- (Old French) - A verbal prefix indicating "cause to be," or "put into."
• Root: tertain (Old French entretenir - to hold, keep, maintain) - The core meaning relating to holding attention.
• Suffix: -ing (English) - Present participle/gerund suffix, forming an adjective in this case.
• Suffix: -ness (English) - Forms a noun denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ˌɛntərˈteɪnɪŋnəs/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɛntərˈteɪnɪŋnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-ingness" is relatively uncommon, but follows standard English derivational morphology. No major exceptions are present.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Entertainingness" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context (as it only has one).

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being entertaining; the degree to which something is amusing or enjoyable.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: amusement, enjoyableness, pleasantness, fun
• Antonyms: boredom, dullness, tedium
• Example Usage: "The entertainingness of the show kept the audience captivated."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Happiness: hap-pi-ness - Similar suffixation (-ness). Stress falls on the second syllable.
• Interestingness: in-ter-est-ing-ness - Similar structure with a different root. Stress falls on the third syllable, like "entertainingness".
• Kindness: kind-ness - Simpler structure with only one suffix. Stress falls on the first syllable.

The difference in stress placement is due to the length and complexity of the root morpheme. Longer roots tend to attract stress later in the word.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown & Rules:

Word-Level Exceptions/Special Cases:

The "-ingness" suffix combination is relatively rare, but doesn't violate any core syllabification rules.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (VCV): Syllables are generally divided before the first vowel.
2. Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC): Syllables are divided after the vowel.
3. Digraphs & Clusters: Vowel digraphs (e.g., "ai" in "tain") and consonant clusters are treated as single units within a syllable unless a vowel intervenes.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Minor variations in vowel quality (e.g., the /ɛ/ in "en" being slightly more open) might occur depending on regional accents, but these do not affect the core syllabification.

Short Analysis:

"Entertainingness" is a noun formed through multiple suffixes attached to the root "tertain." It is divided into five syllables: en-ter-tain-ing-ness, with primary stress on the third syllable. The syllabification follows standard English rules based on vowel-consonant patterns and morphemic boundaries.