Hyphenation ofintercommunications

Linguistic Analysis of "intercommunications"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "intercommunications" is pronounced with a relatively complex structure, involving multiple morphemes and potential vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: inter- (Latin, meaning "between" or "among") - Function: Creates a reciprocal or mutual action.
• Root: communic- (Latin, communicare - "to share, impart") - Function: Core meaning of conveying information.
• Suffix: -ations (Latin/English, derived from -ate + -ion) - Function: Forms a noun denoting an action or process.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: in-ter-com-mu-ni-ca-tions.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɪntərkɑmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃənz/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-com-" can sometimes be a point of ambiguity, but in this case, the presence of the following vowel "mu" clearly separates it as a distinct syllable. The final "-tions" is a common suffix and follows standard syllabification patterns.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Intercommunications" primarily functions as a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to use it adjectivally (though rare and awkward), the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The exchange of information or ideas between people or groups.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: communication, correspondence, exchanges, networking
• Antonyms: isolation, silence, disconnection
• Examples: "The intercommunications between the departments were crucial for the project's success."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Communication: com-mu-ni-ca-tion (5 syllables) - Similar structure, but lacks the "inter-" prefix. Stress pattern is also on the fourth syllable.
• Information: in-for-ma-tion (4 syllables) - Shares the "in-" prefix and "-tion" suffix, but has a different root. Stress on the second syllable.
• Transactions: trans-ac-tions (3 syllables) - Shares the "-tions" suffix, but has a different prefix and root. Stress on the first syllable.

The differences in syllable count and stress placement are directly attributable to the varying prefixes and roots. The consistent application of syllabification rules to the shared suffixes demonstrates the systematic nature of English phonology.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Consonant-Vowel (CV): Syllables are generally formed around a vowel, with any preceding consonants forming the onset.
2. Vowel-Coda: When a vowel is followed by a consonant at the end of a syllable, it forms the nucleus and the consonant the coda.
3. Diphthong Resolution: Diphthongs (like /eɪ/) are treated as a single vowel sound within a syllable.

Special Considerations:

The word's length and multiple morphemes present a challenge for syllabification, but the consistent application of CV and Vowel-Coda rules resolves most ambiguities. The final "-tions" suffix is a common pattern and doesn't pose a significant issue.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables (e.g., /ˌɪntərkæmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃənz/), but this doesn't fundamentally alter the syllable division.