Hyphenation ofnondefensiveness

Linguistic Analysis of "nondefensiveness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "nondefensiveness" is a complex noun in US English, exhibiting multiple morphemes and a relatively long phonetic structure. It's pronounced with a primary stress on the third syllable ("fen").

2. Syllable Division:

Following English syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): non-de-fen-sive-ness

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
• Root: defend (Latin defendere, meaning "to protect"). Morphological function: core meaning.
• Suffix: -ive (Latin origin, forming adjectives from verbs). Morphological function: adjectivalization.
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes, forming nouns from adjectives). Morphological function: nominalization.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: non-de-fen-sive-ness. This is typical for words with multiple suffixes, where stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable of the root, or the syllable before the final suffix.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑn.dəˈfen.sɪv.nəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "nsive" can sometimes be tricky, but in this case, the vowel sound before it dictates the syllable break. The "sive" forms a syllable due to the vowel.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Nondefensiveness" primarily functions as a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to use it attributively (e.g., "nondefensiveness attitude"), the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The state or quality of not being defensive.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: impartiality, objectivity, openness, receptivity
• Antonyms: defensiveness, protectiveness, guardedness
• Examples: "Her nondefensiveness was refreshing in a typically confrontational environment." "He approached the negotiation with a remarkable degree of nondefensiveness."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Responsiveness: re-spon-sive-ness. Similar structure with a suffix chain (-ive-ness). Stress falls on the second syllable.
• Offensiveness: of-fen-sive-ness. Similar structure, stress on the second syllable.
• Aggressiveness: a-gres-sive-ness. Similar structure, stress on the second syllable.

The difference in stress placement in "nondefensiveness" (third syllable) compared to the others (second syllable) is due to the initial prefix "non-". The prefix adds weight to the beginning of the word, shifting the stress towards the root.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• non: /nɑn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Exception: The 'n' is part of the prefix.
• de: /də/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• fen: /fen/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Primary stress.
• sive: /sɪv/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel surrounded by consonants.
• ness: /nəs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC) Rule: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: When consonant clusters occur, syllables are divided to avoid leaving a single consonant at the beginning or end of a syllable.
3. Prefix/Suffix Rule: Prefixes and suffixes generally form separate syllables.

Special Considerations:

The initial "non-" prefix is a common exception to some syllabification rules, as it often remains a distinct syllable. The "sive" ending, while a consonant cluster, is treated as a syllable due to the vowel sound.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "non," making it closer to /nən/. This wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.