Hyphenation ofnonselfregarding

Linguistic Analysis of "nonselfregarding"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "nonselfregarding" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation in US English involves a blend of stressed and unstressed syllables, with potential variations in vowel reduction in unstressed positions.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: non- (Old English) - negates the meaning of the root.
• Root: self- (Old English) - refers to the person or thing itself.
• Suffix: -regarding (Old English/French) - indicates a state or quality of being concerned with or relating to something. This suffix is composed of re- (Latin, meaning 'again, back') + gard (Old English, meaning 'to guard, protect, watch over') + -ing (English, progressive/gerundive suffix).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: non-self-re-gard-ing.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌnɑnˈsɛlf rɪˈɡɑrdɪŋ/

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of prefixes and complex suffixes can lead to ambiguity in syllabification. However, the principle of maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable) and avoiding stranded consonants guides the division.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Not concerned with oneself; unselfish.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: altruistic, unegoistic, selfless, disinterested
• Antonyms: selfish, egoistic, self-centered
• Example Usage: "Her nonselfregarding actions demonstrated a deep commitment to the community."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Regarding: re-gard-ing (/rɪˈɡɑrdɪŋ/) - Similar structure with a suffix, stress on the second syllable.
• Selfish: self-ish (/ˈsɛlfɪʃ/) - Two syllables, stress on the first.
• Nonessential: non-es-sen-tial (/ˌnɑnɪˈsɛnʃəl/) - Four syllables, stress on the third.

The differences in syllable division and stress are due to the varying lengths and complexities of the morphemes involved. "Nonselfregarding" has a longer and more complex suffix, leading to a different stress pattern.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-C-C Rule: When a vowel is followed by two consonants, the syllable break typically occurs after the first consonant (e.g., non-).
2. Consonant-Vowel-Consonant Rule: When a syllable contains a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, the syllable break usually occurs between the vowel and the second consonant (e.g., self-).
3. Maximizing Onsets: English prefers to maximize the number of consonants at the beginning of a syllable (onset).
4. Stress Assignment: Stress is often assigned to the penultimate syllable (second to last) in words of multiple syllables, but can be influenced by morphological structure.

Special Considerations:

The prefix "non-" is generally treated as a separate syllable. The suffix "-regarding" is complex and requires careful consideration of its internal structure. Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables is a common phenomenon in English and can affect the precise phonetic realization of the word.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "regarding" to a schwa /ə/, resulting in /ˌnɑnˈsɛlf rɪˈɡɑrdɪŋ/. This variation doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.