Hyphenation ofmaintainableness
Syllable Division:
main-tain-a-ble-ness
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/meɪnˈteɪnəbl̩nəs/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
01000
Primary stress falls on the second syllable ('tain'). The other syllables are unstressed.
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, stressed.
Closed syllable, primary stressed.
Open syllable, unstressed, schwa.
Closed syllable, contains a syllabic consonant.
Closed syllable, unstressed.
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix: main
From Latin 'manēre' meaning 'to remain'. Verb-forming prefix.
Root: tain
From Latin 'tenēre' meaning 'to hold'. Core meaning related to holding or keeping.
Suffix: able-ness
'-able' from Latin '-abilis' (adjective forming), '-ness' from Old English '-nes' (noun forming).
The degree to which something is capable of being maintained; ease of maintenance.
Examples:
"The maintainableness of the system was a key factor in its selection."
"Engineers prioritized the maintainableness of the design."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Similar suffix structure and multiple suffixes.
Similar root and suffix structure.
Similar suffix structure, demonstrating stress pattern variations.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Onset Maximization
Consonant clusters are kept together at the beginning of a syllable (e.g., 'main').
Vowel Nucleus
Each syllable must have a vowel sound or a syllabic consonant.
Avoid Stranded Consonants
Consonants are not left alone to begin a syllable unless they form a valid onset.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
The syllabic /l̩/ in 'ble' requires recognition.
The schwa sound /ə/ in 'a' is common in unstressed syllables.
Summary:
The word 'maintainableness' is divided into five syllables: main-tain-a-ble-ness. The primary stress falls on 'tain'. It's morphologically complex, built from a Latin-derived prefix, root, and two suffixes. Syllabification follows rules of onset maximization and vowel nucleus requirements.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "maintainableness"
1. Examination & Pronunciation:
The word "maintainableness" is a noun in English (US) denoting the quality of being maintainable. Its pronunciation involves a complex sequence of vowels and consonants, requiring careful syllabification.
2. Syllable Division:
The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable) and avoiding stranded consonants, is as follows:
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- Prefix: main- (Latin manēre 'to remain, dwell') - Function: Verb forming prefix.
- Root: tain (Latin tenēre 'to hold') - Function: Core meaning related to holding or keeping in a state.
- Suffix: -able (Latin -abilis) - Function: Adjective forming suffix, indicating capability.
- Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes) - Function: Noun forming suffix, denoting a state or quality.
4. Stress Identification:
The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: "tain".
5. Phonetic Transcription:
/meɪnˈteɪnəbl̩nəs/
6. Edge Case Review:
The presence of the schwa /ə/ and syllabic consonant /l̩/ requires careful consideration. The syllabic /l̩/ functions as the nucleus of a syllable.
7. Grammatical Role:
"Maintainableness" functions solely as a noun. There are no stress or syllabification shifts if it were to function as another part of speech, as it is a derived noun.
8. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: The degree to which something is capable of being maintained; ease of maintenance.
- Grammatical Category: Noun
- Synonyms: maintainability, serviceability, usability
- Antonyms: fragility, unreliability
- Examples: "The maintainableness of the system was a key factor in its selection." "Engineers prioritized the maintainableness of the design."
9. Phonological Comparison:
- Comparable Word 1: "obtainability" - Syllables: ob-tain-a-bil-i-ty. Similar structure with multiple suffixes. Stress falls on "tain" as well.
- Comparable Word 2: "sustainability" - Syllables: sus-tain-a-bil-i-ty. Similar root and suffix structure. Stress falls on "tain" as well.
- Comparable Word 3: "responsibility" - Syllables: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty. Similar suffix structure. Stress falls on "si". This demonstrates that stress placement isn't solely determined by suffixation but also by the root's inherent stress pattern.
10. Division Rules:
- Onset Maximization: Consonant clusters are generally kept together at the beginning of a syllable (e.g., main-).
- Vowel Nucleus: Each syllable must have a vowel sound (or a syllabic consonant).
- Avoid Stranded Consonants: Consonants are not left alone to begin a syllable unless they form a valid onset.
- Schwa Reduction: Schwa sounds often occur in unstressed syllables.
11. Special Considerations:
The "-able" and "-ness" suffixes are common in English and follow predictable syllabification patterns. The syllabic /l̩/ in "maintainableness" is a relatively common feature in English, but requires recognition for accurate analysis.
12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:
Some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel quality, but the core syllabification remains consistent.
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