Hyphenation ofnonapportionable

Linguistic Analysis of "nonapportionable"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "nonapportionable" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a mix of stressed and unstressed syllables, with a tendency towards reduced vowels in unstressed positions.

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): non-ap-por-tion-a-ble

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
• Root: portion (Latin portio meaning "part, share"). Morphological function: core meaning related to dividing into parts.
• Suffix: -able (Latin -abilis). Morphological function: forms an adjective meaning "capable of being".
• Suffix: -tion (Latin -tio). Morphological function: nominalization, turning a verb into a noun.
• Suffix: -appor (Latin apportere meaning "to bring to"). Morphological function: to add to the root.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: non-ap-por-tion-a-ble.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑn.əˈpɔr.ʃən.ə.bəl/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "tion" often forms a syllable on its own, as it does here. The "appor" sequence is less common and requires careful consideration.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Nonapportionable" functions primarily as an adjective. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Not capable of being apportioned or divided.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: indivisible, unassignable, non-divisible
• Antonyms: apportionable, divisible, assignable
• Examples: "The cost was nonapportionable among the departments." "The responsibility was deemed nonapportionable."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Comparable Word 1: "unacceptable" (un-ac-cep-ta-ble) - Similar prefix and suffix structure. Stress falls on the third syllable.
• Comparable Word 2: "immeasurable" (im-meas-ur-a-ble) - Similar prefix and suffix structure. Stress falls on the third syllable.
• Comparable Word 3: "irresponsible" (ir-re-spon-si-ble) - Similar prefix and suffix structure. Stress falls on the fourth syllable.

The differences in stress placement are due to the length and complexity of the root morpheme. "Portion" is longer and more complex than "measure" or "responsible," leading to a later stress.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• non: /nɑn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Exception: Initial syllable.
• ap: /æp/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• por: /pɔr/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• tion: /ˈʃən/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Exception: Common suffix.
• a: /ə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Single vowel sound.
• ble: /bəl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant Rule: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable.
3. Suffix Rule: Common suffixes (like -able, -tion) often form their own syllables.
4. Stress-Timing Rule: English is a stress-timed language, influencing syllable prominence.

Special Considerations:

The "appor" sequence is unusual and could potentially be divided differently (e.g., ap-por), but the current division aligns better with the perceived pronunciation and morphemic structure.