Hyphenation ofself-contemplation

Linguistic Analysis of "self-contemplation" (US English)

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "self-contemplation" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation involves a blend of stressed and unstressed syllables, and the presence of consonant clusters requires careful consideration during syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

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

self-con-tem-pla-tion

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: self- (Old English) - reflexive pronoun functioning as a prefix, indicating the action is performed by the subject upon itself.
• Root: templ- (Latin tempus - time) - relating to considering or observing.
• Suffixes: -cont- (Latin com- - with, together + tempus - time) - combining form. -pla- (Latin plare - to flatten, spread, consider) - forming the verb stem. -tion (Latin) - nominalizing suffix, forming a noun from a verb.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: con-tem-pla-tion. This is determined by the general rule that stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable in words ending in -tion, unless overridden by other factors (like long vowels or complex consonant clusters in preceding syllables).

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌselfkɑnˈtɛmplˌeɪʃən/

6. Edge Case Review:

The consonant cluster "-mpl-" is a relatively common but potentially challenging area for syllabification. However, the rule of maximizing onsets (placing as many consonants as possible at the beginning of a syllable) applies here, leading to "tem-pla".

7. Grammatical Role:

"Self-contemplation" primarily functions as a noun. While "contemplate" (the verb form) has a different stress pattern (ˈkɑntɛmˌpleɪt), the noun form maintains the stress on the "pla" syllable.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The act of thinking deeply about one's own thoughts, feelings, and character.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: introspection, self-examination, meditation, reflection
• Antonyms: thoughtlessness, impulsiveness, externalization
• Examples:
  • "Her period of self-contemplation led to a profound change in her outlook."
  • "He engaged in self-contemplation to understand his motivations."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Information: /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/ - Syllables: in-for-ma-tion. Similar ending "-tion" with stress on the penultimate syllable.
• Celebration: /ˌsɛlɪˈbreɪʃən/ - Syllables: cel-e-bra-tion. Similar ending "-tion" with stress on the penultimate syllable.
• Contradiction: /ˌkɑntrəˈdɪkʃən/ - Syllables: con-tra-dic-tion. Similar ending "-tion" with stress on the penultimate syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the penultimate syllable in these words ending in "-tion" demonstrates the regularity of this rule in English. The differences in the initial syllable structures are due to the different consonant and vowel combinations in the prefixes and roots.

10. Division Rules:

• Vowel Rule: Each syllable must contain at least one vowel sound.
• Maximize Onsets: Consonants are generally assigned to the following vowel to create a valid onset (beginning consonant cluster).
• Penultimate Stress: In words ending in -tion, stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable.
• Consonant Cluster Rule: Complex consonant clusters are broken up based on sonority, favoring the creation of valid syllable codas (ending consonant clusters).

11. Special Considerations:

The prefix "self-" is often treated as a separate syllable, even though it's etymologically a single morpheme. This is due to its pronunciation and the tendency to separate prefixes in English syllabification.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some regional variations might exhibit slightly different vowel qualities (e.g., a more open "a" in "contemplate"). However, these variations generally do not affect the syllable division.