Hyphenation ofnondeterminativeness

Linguistic Analysis of "nondeterminativeness"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "nondeterminativeness" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a relatively straightforward application of English phonological rules, though the length and complexity can lead to variations in stress and reduction of unstressed vowels.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Latin, meaning "not") - Negation.
• Root: determine (Latin determinare - to limit, define) - The core meaning of establishing limits or making definite.
• Suffix: -ative (Latin -ativus) - Forms an adjective meaning "having the quality of".
• Suffix: -ness (Old English -nes) - Forms a noun denoting a state or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable: non-de-ter-mi-na-tive-ness.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑn.dɪˈtɜrm.ɪ.neɪ.tɪv.nəs/

6. Edge Case Review:

The length of the word and the presence of multiple suffixes can lead to some vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. However, the core syllabification remains consistent.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Nondeterminativeness" functions primarily as a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to use it attributively (as an adjective), this is rare and wouldn't significantly alter the syllabification.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The quality or state of being not determinate; lack of definiteness or precision.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: indeterminacy, ambiguity, vagueness, uncertainty
• Antonyms: determinacy, certainty, precision
• Example Usage: "The nondeterminativeness of the evidence made a conviction impossible."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Determinate: /dɪˈtɜrm.ɪ.neɪt/ - Syllables: de-ter-mi-nate. Similar structure, but lacks the prefixes and suffixes. Stress falls on the second syllable.
• Determinism: /dɪˈtɜrm.ɪ.nɪ.zəm/ - Syllables: de-ter-mi-nism. Similar root, but different suffixes. Stress falls on the second syllable.
• Creativeness: /kriˈeɪ.tɪv.nəs/ - Syllables: cre-a-tive-ness. Similar suffix (-ness), but different root. Stress falls on the second syllable.

The differences in syllable count and stress placement are directly related to the addition of prefixes and suffixes, and the inherent length of the root word.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown & Rules:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-CVC Rule: Syllables are generally formed around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they are easily separable by a vowel sound.
3. Onset-Rime Rule: Syllables are divided into an onset (initial consonant(s)) and a rime (vowel and any following consonants).

Special Considerations:

• The word's length and complexity make it prone to vowel reduction in unstressed syllables.
• Regional variations in pronunciation might affect the precise vowel quality in some syllables.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "tive" to /tɪv/ or /təv/. This wouldn't fundamentally alter the syllabification, but could affect the phonetic realization.