Hyphenation ofmetanitroaniline

Linguistic Analysis of "metanitroaniline"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "metanitroaniline" is pronounced /ˌmetənaɪtroʊˈænɪliːn/ in US English. It's a complex word with multiple morphemes and potential syllabic ambiguities due to the vowel clusters and consonant combinations.

2. Syllable Division:

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

me-ta-ni-tro-a-ni-li-ne

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: meta- (Greek origin, meaning "beyond," "after," or "changed"). Morphological function: indicates a derivative or altered form.
• Root: nitro- (Latin nitrum meaning "natron," a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate). Morphological function: indicates the presence of a nitro group (-NO2).
• Suffix: -aniline (from anilin, derived from the Arabic word an-nīl for indigo). Morphological function: denotes an aromatic amine.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: /ˌmetənaɪtroʊˈænɪliːn/. This is due to the presence of the secondary stress on the 'ni' syllable and the general rule of stressing the penultimate syllable in words ending in -ine.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌmetənaɪtroʊˈænɪliːn/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "nitro" presents a potential ambiguity. It could be syllabified as "ni-tro" or "nit-ro". However, "ni-tro" is preferred as it aligns with the principle of maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable).

7. Grammatical Role:

"Metanitroaniline" primarily functions as a noun, specifically a chemical compound. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Metanitroaniline is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H6N2O2. It is a yellow crystalline solid used as an intermediate in the production of dyes and other chemicals.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: None commonly used.
• Antonyms: N/A (as it's a specific chemical compound)
• Examples: "The synthesis of metanitroaniline requires careful control of temperature and pressure."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Similar Word 1: "methylbenzene" (me-thyl-ben-zene) - Similar syllable structure with alternating consonant-vowel patterns. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable, like "metanitroaniline".
• Similar Word 2: "dichlorobenzene" (di-chlor-o-ben-zene) - Shares the "-benzene" ending and a similar pattern of multiple syllables. Stress pattern is also similar.
• Similar Word 3: "nitrobenzene" (ni-tro-ben-zene) - Contains the "nitro" root, demonstrating the preferred "ni-tro" syllabification. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

10. Division Rules:

• Onset Maximization: Prioritizing consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables (e.g., "ni-tro").
• Vowel-Centric Syllabification: Each syllable generally contains a vowel sound.
• Penultimate Stress: Stressing the second-to-last syllable in words ending in -ine.

11. Special Considerations:

The word's length and complex morphology require careful application of syllabification rules. The "nitro" sequence is a key area where alternative syllabifications are possible, but "ni-tro" is more phonologically plausible.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the provided IPA transcription represents the standard US English pronunciation, slight variations in vowel quality or stress intensity might occur depending on regional accents. These variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.