Hyphenation ofmeter-candle-second

Linguistic Analysis of "meter-candle-second"

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "meter-candle-second" is a compound noun in English (US). It refers to a unit of time, specifically a second measured using a candle's burning rate. The pronunciation is relatively straightforward, though the compound nature introduces potential complexities in stress and syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• meter-: Prefix, from Greek metron (measure). Morphological function: indicates measurement.
• candle-: Root, from Old English candel, ultimately from Latin candela (torch, candle). Morphological function: the object used for measurement.
• second: Root, from Latin secundus (following, second). Morphological function: the unit of time.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the final syllable, "sec". This is typical for compound nouns in English, particularly those ending in a time unit.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈmiːtərˌkændəlˌsɛkənd/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• me-: /ˈmiː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
• ter-: /ˈtər/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster followed by a vowel. No exceptions.
• can-: /ˈkæn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
• dle-: /ˈdəl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant cluster. No exceptions.
• sec-: /ˈsɛk/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
• ond-: /ˈənd/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by a consonant cluster. No exceptions.

7. Edge Case Review:

The compound nature of the word could lead to some ambiguity. However, the established pronunciation and common usage dictate the above syllabification.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word primarily functions as a noun. As a noun, the stress pattern remains consistent. It does not readily function as other parts of speech.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A unit of time approximately equal to the average time it takes for a standard candle to burn.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: None readily available, as it's a specific unit.
• Antonyms: None applicable.
• Examples: "The experiment was timed in meter-candle-seconds."

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the given pronunciation is standard, slight variations in vowel quality might occur depending on regional accents. These variations would not significantly alter the syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• waterfall: wa-ter-fall. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC-CVC). Stress on the final syllable.
• sunflower: sun-flow-er. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC-CVC). Stress on the final syllable.
• bedroom: bed-room. Similar syllable structure (CVC-CVC). Stress on the final syllable.

The consistency in stress placement on the final syllable in these compounds reinforces the rule for compound nouns in English. The syllable division rules applied are consistent across these examples.