Hyphenation ofquasi-successful

Linguistic Analysis of "quasi-successful"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "quasi-successful" is pronounced as /ˈkweɪziːsəkˈsɛsfəl/ in US English. It presents challenges due to the prefix "quasi-" and the compound structure.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only original letters, is: qua-si-suc-cess-ful

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: quasi- (Latin, meaning "as if," "resembling"). Morphological function: degree modifier.
• Root: success- (Latin succedere - to come out well, to happen favorably). Morphological function: core meaning of achieving a desired outcome.
• Suffix: -ful (Old English full, meaning "full of"). Morphological function: adjective formation, indicating possession of the quality denoted by the root.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: suc-cess-ful. A secondary stress is present on the first syllable: qua-si-suc-cess-ful.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈkweɪziːsəkˈsɛsfəl/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "quasi-" prefix can sometimes be pronounced with a shorter vowel /kwaɪziː/, but the longer vowel /kweɪziː/ is more common in US English. The compound nature of the word (prefix + root + suffix) requires careful consideration of stress placement.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Appearing to be successful, but not genuinely or completely so; superficially successful.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: seemingly successful, apparently successful, borderline successful, half-successful
• Antonyms: truly successful, genuinely successful, completely successful, fully successful
• Examples: "The project was a quasi-successful attempt to reduce pollution." "His quasi-successful career as an artist never brought him fame."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Successful: suc-cess-ful (/səkˈsɛsfəl/) - Similar stress pattern, demonstrating the importance of the "-cess" syllable in attracting stress.
• Impossible: im-pos-si-ble (/ɪmˈpɑsəbl/) - Similar syllable structure with a prefix and suffix, but stress falls on the second syllable. This difference is due to the weight of the syllables and the inherent stress patterns of the root.
• Beautiful: beau-ti-ful (/ˈbjuːtɪfəl/) - Demonstrates a different stress pattern, with primary stress on the first syllable. This is due to the different vowel qualities and syllable weights.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Onset-Rime Division: Dividing syllables based on the consonant onset and vowel-containing rime.
2. Consonant-Vowel Division: When a vowel sound is followed by a consonant sound, the syllable is typically divided before the consonant.
3. Stress-Timing: English is a stress-timed language, meaning syllables are adjusted in duration to accommodate stressed syllables.

Special Considerations:

The prefix "quasi-" is often treated as a single unit, but for accurate syllabification, it's divided based on vowel sounds. The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of stress placement, which is influenced by the root and suffix.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might pronounce "quasi" as /kwaɪziː/, which would slightly alter the syllable division perception, but not the written form.