Hyphenation offlower-of-an-hour

Linguistic Analysis of "flower-of-an-hour" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "flower-of-an-hour" is a compound noun phrase functioning as a single lexical item. Its pronunciation reflects the individual pronunciations of its components, but with some adjustments due to phrasal stress and elision.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• flower: Root. Origin: Old English flōwer, from Proto-Germanic blōmaz (“bloom”). Morphological function: Noun, denoting a plant.
• of: Preposition. Origin: Old English of. Morphological function: Indicates relationship between two entities.
• an: Article. Origin: Old English ān. Morphological function: Indefinite article.
• hour: Root. Origin: Old English hōra, from Latin hora. Morphological function: Noun, denoting a unit of time.

The phrase is a compound noun, not formed through affixation.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the first syllable of "flower" and the second syllable of "hour".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈflaʊər ɒv ən ˈaʊər/

6. Edge Case Review:

The phrase is relatively straightforward in terms of syllabification. The linking /ə/ sound between "of" and "an" is a common feature of connected speech and doesn't affect the core syllable division.

7. Grammatical Role:

The phrase functions as a noun. There is no shift in syllabification or stress if it were to hypothetically function as an adjective (which is rare).

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A flower that blooms for only a short time; something that is beautiful but fleeting.
• Grammatical Category: Noun phrase
• Synonyms: ephemeral bloom, transient beauty, short-lived flower
• Antonyms: perennial, lasting beauty
• Examples: "Their love was a flower-of-an-hour, intense but brief."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• sunflower: sun-flow-er (/ˈsʌnˌflaʊər/) - Similar structure with a compound noun. Stress on the first element.
• power hour: pow-er hour (/ˈpaʊər ˈaʊər/) - Compound noun, stress on the first element of each component.
• tower of power: tow-er of pow-er (/ˈtaʊər ɒv ˈpaʊər/) - Similar prepositional phrase structure. Stress on the first syllable of each major word.

The syllable division in "flower-of-an-hour" is consistent with these examples, following the pattern of dividing compound nouns and prepositional phrases based on individual word boundaries.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• flow-er:
  • IPA: /ˈfloʊ.ər/
  • Rule Applied: Vowel digraphs (ow) are generally considered part of the same syllable. Division occurs after the vowel sound.
  • Exceptions/Special Cases: None.
• of:
  • IPA: /ɒv/
  • Rule Applied: Single vowel sound constitutes a syllable.
  • Exceptions/Special Cases: None.
• an:
  • IPA: /ən/
  • Rule Applied: Single vowel sound constitutes a syllable.
  • Exceptions/Special Cases: None.
• hour:
  • IPA: /ˈaʊər/
  • Rule Applied: Diphthong (aʊ) is considered part of the same syllable. Division occurs after the vowel sound.
  • Exceptions/Special Cases: None.

Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel-Consonant Rule: Syllables are often divided after vowels, especially when followed by a consonant.
• Vowel Digraph/Diphthong Rule: Vowel digraphs and diphthongs generally remain within the same syllable.
• Single Vowel Rule: A single vowel sound typically forms a syllable.

Special Considerations:

• The phrase is a compound noun, and its syllabification reflects the syllabification of its constituent words.
• Connected speech phenomena (like the linking /ə/ sound) do not alter the underlying syllable structure.

Short Analysis:

"flower-of-an-hour" is a compound noun divided into four syllables: flow-er, of, an, hour. Stress falls on "flow" and "hour". The syllabification follows standard US English rules, dividing after vowels and keeping vowel digraphs/diphthongs intact. The morphemic analysis reveals the phrase's composition from individual words with Old English and Latin origins.