Hyphenation ofself-intelligible

Linguistic Analysis of "self-intelligible"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "self-intelligible" is pronounced with moderate complexity, featuring consonant clusters and multiple vowels. The stress pattern is crucial for accurate pronunciation and syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

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

self-in-tel-li-gi-ble

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: self- (Old English) - reflexive pronoun functioning as a prefix indicating performance of an action by the subject.
• Root: tell (Proto-Germanic *talōną) - to perceive or understand.
• Suffixes:
  • -i- (Latin) - connecting vowel, often found between a root and a suffix.
  • -ble (Old French –ble) - adjective suffix indicating capability or susceptibility.
  • -ge (Old English) - used to form nouns or adjectives.
  • -ible (Latin –ibilis) - adjective suffix meaning "able to be".

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: in-tel-li-gi-ble.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌselfɪnˈtɛlɪdʒɪbl̩/

6. Edge Case Review:

The presence of the schwa /ɪ/ in the first syllable and the syllabic consonant /l̩/ in the final syllable are typical features of English pronunciation. The 'g' in 'intelligible' is sometimes silent in certain dialects, but the standard pronunciation includes it.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Capable of being understood without explanation; easily understood.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: comprehensible, understandable, lucid, clear, self-explanatory
• Antonyms: obscure, ambiguous, unintelligible, complex
• Examples:
  • "The instructions were self-intelligible, so I didn't need to ask for help."
  • "The diagram was self-intelligible, making the process easy to follow."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Understandable: un-der-stand-a-ble - Similar syllable structure, stress on the second syllable.
• Responsible: re-spon-si-ble - Similar suffix -ble, stress on the second syllable.
• Incredible: in-cred-i-ble - Similar prefix in- and suffix -ble, stress on the second syllable.

The differences in syllable division arise from the varying consonant clusters and vowel sequences in the root morphemes. "Self-intelligible" has a more complex initial cluster and a connecting vowel, leading to a different syllable breakdown.

10. Division Rules:

• Vowel Rule: Each syllable must contain at least one vowel sound.
• Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally split to maintain onsets and codas within syllables.
• Prefix/Suffix Rule: Prefixes and suffixes often form separate syllables.
• Stress Rule: Stress influences syllable prominence and can affect vowel reduction.

11. Special Considerations:

The word's length and morphological complexity require careful application of syllabification rules. The connecting vowel '-i-' is a common feature in English derived from Latin, and its inclusion in a separate syllable is standard.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might reduce the vowel in "self" to a schwa /sɛlf/ or /səlf/. This doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.