Hyphenation ofnonterminability
Syllable Division:
non-ter-mi-na-bil-i-ty
Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)
/ˌnɑnˌtɜrmɪˈneɪbɪləti/
Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)
0001001
Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable ('-na-'), typical for words ending in '-ity'.
Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound
Open syllable, onset 'n', rhyme 'an'
Closed syllable, onset 't', rhyme 'er'
Open syllable, onset 'm', rhyme 'i'
Open syllable, onset 'n', rhyme 'ay' (diphthong)
Closed syllable, onset 'b', rhyme 'il'
Open syllable, vowel as sole constituent
Closed syllable, onset 't', rhyme 'i'
Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)
Prefix: non-
Latin origin, negation
Root: termin-
Latin origin, related to 'end'
Suffix: -ability
French/Latin origin, forms a noun denoting capability
The quality or state of being not terminable; the inability to be brought to an end.
Examples:
"The nonterminability of the contract worried the investors."
"The debate's nonterminability frustrated everyone involved."
Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features
Shares the '-ity' suffix and similar syllable structure.
Shares the '-ity' suffix and comparable syllable structure.
Shares the root 'termin-' and follows similar syllabification rules.
The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end
Onset-Rhyme
Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant sound(s)) and rhyme (vowel and any following consonants).
Vowel as Syllable
A single vowel can constitute a syllable on its own.
CVC Structure
Consonant-Vowel-Consonant patterns typically form closed syllables.
Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure
The vowel clusters do not present unusual syllabification challenges. The sequence '-ter-' is clearly part of the root morpheme.
Summary:
The word 'nonterminability' is divided into seven syllables: non-ter-mi-na-bil-i-ty. It consists of the prefix 'non-', the root 'termin-', and the suffixes '-ability' and '-ity'. Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable. Syllabification follows standard English rules based on onset-rhyme structure and vowel clusters.
Detailed Analysis:
Linguistic Analysis of "nonterminability"
1. Pronunciation Examination:
The word "nonterminability" is pronounced /ˌnɑnˌtɜrmɪˈneɪbɪləti/ (General American English). It presents challenges due to the multiple morphemes and vowel clusters.
2. Syllable Division:
Following English syllable division rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): non-ter-mi-na-bil-i-ty
3. Morphemic Analysis:
- Prefix: non- (Latin origin, meaning "not"). Morphological function: negation.
- Root: termin- (Latin terminus meaning "boundary, end"). Morphological function: core meaning related to ending or limiting.
- Suffix: -ability (French/Latin origin, from -abilis meaning "capable of"). Morphological function: forms a noun denoting capability or quality.
- Suffix: -ity (Latin origin, from -itas). Morphological function: forms a noun denoting a state or quality.
4. Stress Identification:
The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: /ˌnɑnˌtɜrmɪˈneɪbɪləti/. This is typical for words ending in -ity.
5. Phonetic Transcription:
/ˌnɑnˌtɜrmɪˈneɪbɪləti/
6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:
- non-: /nɑn/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. The 'n' forms the onset, and 'an' forms the rhyme. No special cases.
- ter-: /tɜr/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) structure. 't' is the onset, 'er' is the rhyme. No special cases.
- mi-: /mɪ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'm' is the onset, 'i' is the rhyme. No special cases.
- na-: /neɪ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Onset-Rhyme structure. 'n' is the onset, 'ay' is the rhyme (diphthong). No special cases.
- bil-: /bɪl/ - Closed syllable. Rule: CVC structure. 'b' is the onset, 'il' is the rhyme. No special cases.
- i-: /ɪ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel as the sole syllable constituent. No special cases.
- ty: /ti/ - Closed syllable. Rule: CVC structure. 't' is the onset, 'i' is the rhyme. No special cases.
7. Edge Case Review:
The sequence "-ter-" can sometimes be ambiguous, but in this case, it clearly functions as a unit within the root morpheme. The vowel clusters are common in English and don't present unusual syllabification challenges.
8. Grammatical Role:
"Nonterminability" functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.
9. Definition & Semantics:
- Definition: The quality or state of being not terminable; the inability to be brought to an end.
- Grammatical Category: Noun
- Synonyms: indefiniteness, perpetuity, endlessness
- Antonyms: terminability, finality, conclusiveness
- Examples: "The nonterminability of the contract worried the investors." "The debate's nonterminability frustrated everyone involved."
10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:
Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the unstressed syllables (e.g., /ˌnɑnˌtɜrmɪˈneɪbəli/). This doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.
11. Phonological Comparison:
- possibility: pos-si-bil-i-ty - Similar structure with -ity suffix. Stress pattern is also similar.
- responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Again, shares the -ity suffix and a comparable syllable structure.
- terminological: ter-mi-no-lo-gi-cal - Shares the root "termin-". Syllable division follows similar rules, though the suffix is different.
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