Hyphenation ofgood-temperedness

Linguistic Analysis of "good-temperedness" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "good-temperedness" is a complex noun formed through compounding and suffixation. Its pronunciation involves a blend of common English vowel and consonant sounds. The stress pattern is crucial for accurate pronunciation and syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: None
• Root: temper (Old French temperer - to mix, moderate) - denoting disposition or emotional nature.
• Suffixes:
  • -ed (English) - past participle/adjective forming suffix. Here, it functions adjectivally, modifying "temper."
  • -ness (English) - noun-forming suffix, indicating a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: tem.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɡʊd ˈtɛmpərdnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The compound nature of the word and the presence of multiple suffixes require careful consideration. The "-ed" suffix, when attached to a root like "temper," often forms an adjective, which then takes the "-ness" suffix to create a noun.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Good-temperedness" functions solely as a noun. There are no shifts in syllabification or stress if the word were to hypothetically function as another part of speech, as it is a derived noun.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality of being habitually cheerful and agreeable.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: amiability, pleasantness, good humor, affability
• Antonyms: ill-temper, irritability, surliness, bad temper
• Examples:
  • "Her good-temperedness was infectious."
  • "He approached the difficult task with remarkable good-temperedness."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Kindness: kind-ness /kaɪndnəs/ - Similar structure with a root and "-ness" suffix. Stress on the first syllable.
• Happiness: hap-pi-ness /hæpɪnəs/ - Similar structure with a root and "-ness" suffix. Stress on the first syllable.
• Badness: bad-ness /bædnəs/ - Similar structure with a root and "-ness" suffix. Stress on the first syllable.

The difference in stress placement in "good-temperedness" (on tem) compared to the others (on the root) is due to the compound structure and the adjectival function of "tempered" before the addition of "-ness". The longer root and the presence of the "-ed" suffix create a more complex prosodic unit.

10. Syllable Analysis & Division Rules:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, including rules applied:

• good: /ɡʊd/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s) at the end of the syllable. Exception: "oo" vowel sound.
• tem: /tɛm/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• per: /pər/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• ed: /ɪd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• ness: /nəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).

11. Special Considerations:

The "-ed" suffix can be pronounced /t/, /d/, or /ɪd/ depending on the preceding sound. In this case, it's pronounced /ɪd/ because "temper" ends in a /t/ sound.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents the most common US English pronunciation, slight variations in vowel quality may occur depending on regional accents. However, these variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.