Hyphenation oflong-lastingness

Linguistic Analysis of "long-lastingness" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "long-lastingness" presents a complex syllabic structure due to its length and multiple morphemes. The pronunciation involves consonant clusters and vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.

2. Syllable Division:

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

long-last-ing-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: long- (Old English) - Adjective forming prefix, indicating duration.
• Root: last (Old English) - Verb, meaning to endure or continue.
• Suffix: -ing (Old English) - Progressive/gerundive suffix, forming a present participle or gerund.
• Suffix: -ness (Old English) - Noun forming suffix, denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second syllable: last.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/lɔŋˈlæstɪŋnəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "-ing" suffix can sometimes be pronounced /ɪŋ/ or /eɪn/ depending on the following sound. Here, it's /ɪŋ/ as it's followed by a vowel. The "n" in "lasting" can be subject to assimilation in rapid speech.

7. Grammatical Role:

"long-lastingness" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context (as it's a derived noun).

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of continuing or being durable for a considerable period.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: durability, permanence, endurance, longevity
• Antonyms: transience, impermanence, fragility
• Examples: "The long-lastingness of the materials ensured the building's stability." "We appreciated the long-lastingness of the warranty."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• happiness: hap-pi-ness - Similar structure with a suffix. Stress on the second syllable.
• sadness: sad-ness - Simpler structure, but shares the "-ness" suffix. Stress on the first syllable.
• interesting: in-ter-est-ing - Shares the "-ing" suffix. Stress on the second syllable.

The differences in stress placement are due to the number of syllables and the inherent stress patterns of the root morphemes. "long-lastingness" has a longer root and a more complex structure, leading to stress on the second syllable.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• long: /lɔŋ/ - Open syllable, vowel is lengthened. Rule: Vowel lengthening in open syllables. Potential exception: vowel quality can vary slightly regionally.
• last: /læst/ - Closed syllable, vowel is short. Rule: Short vowel in closed syllables. Potential exception: /æ/ can be slightly raised in some dialects.
• ing: /ɪŋ/ - Syllable formed by a suffix. Rule: Suffixes generally form separate syllables. Potential exception: can be reduced to /n/ in very rapid speech.
• ness: /nəs/ - Syllable formed by a suffix. Rule: Suffixes generally form separate syllables. Potential exception: vowel reduction to schwa /ə/.

Exceptions and Special Cases:

• The consonant cluster "-st-" in "lasting" is common in English and doesn't pose a significant syllabification challenge.
• Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is a common phenomenon in English.

Division Rules Applied:

• Onset-Rime Principle: Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant(s)) and rime (vowel and following consonants).
• Vowel Rule: Each syllable must contain a vowel sound.
• Suffix Rule: Suffixes generally form separate syllables.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "long" to /ɒŋ/, but the syllabification remains the same. Regional accents may affect vowel quality but not syllable division.