Hyphenation ofhemagglutinative

Linguistic Analysis of "hemagglutinative"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "hemagglutinative" is pronounced /ˌhiːməɡlʌtɪˈneɪtɪv/ (General American English). It presents challenges due to its length, multiple vowels, and consonant clusters.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): he-ma-glul-ti-na-tive

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: hema- (Greek, meaning "blood"). Morphological function: indicates relation to blood.
• Root: agglutin- (Latin, from agglutinare "to glue together"). Morphological function: denotes the process of clumping or sticking together.
• Suffix: -ative (Latin, forming adjectives). Morphological function: creates an adjective meaning "having the quality of."

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: /ˌhiːməɡlʌtɪˈneɪtɪv/.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌhiːməɡlʌtɪˈneɪtɪv/

6. Edge Case Review:

The cluster "-glul-" is somewhat unusual and requires careful consideration. The rule of maximizing onsets is applied, but the vowel sequence also influences the division.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Hemagglutinative" primarily functions as an adjective. While it can be nominalized (e.g., "the hemagglutinative property"), the syllabification remains consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Relating to or characterized by hemagglutination (the clumping of red blood cells).
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: clumping, agglutinating
• Antonyms: dispersing, separating
• Examples: "The virus induced a hemagglutinative reaction." "Hemagglutinative antibodies were detected in the serum."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Comparative Words:

  • communicative (co-mu-ni-ca-tive): Similar vowel structure and suffix. Stress pattern is also similar.
  • informative (in-for-ma-tive): Shares the "-ative" suffix and a similar stress pattern.
  • alternative (al-ter-na-tive): Shares the "-ative" suffix and a similar stress pattern.

  The primary difference lies in the initial consonant clusters and the complexity of the root. "Hemagglutinative" has a more complex initial cluster and a less common root compared to the others.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Following Consonant Rule: Consonants following vowels are generally assigned to the following syllable.
2. Maximizing Onsets: Consonants are preferred to begin syllables (onsets) rather than end them (codas), when possible.
3. Stress Assignment: English typically stresses the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ive.

Special Considerations:

The "-glul-" sequence is a potential point of ambiguity. However, adhering to the principle of maximizing onsets and considering the vowel sequence leads to the division "glul."

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables, but this doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.