Hyphenation ofself-reproaching

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

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "self-reproaching" is a complex word with multiple morphemes. Its pronunciation involves a blend of vowel sounds, consonant clusters, and stress patterns typical of English.

2. Syllable Division:

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

self-re-proach-ing

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: self- (Old English) - reflexive pronoun functioning as a prefix, indicating the action is performed by the subject on itself.
• Root: proach (from Old French prochier meaning "to accuse" or "to blame") - The core meaning relates to accusation or blame. This is a less common root in modern English, often appearing in compounds.
• Suffix: -ing (Old English) - progressive/gerundive suffix, indicating an ongoing action or a noun formed from a verb.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: re-proach-ing.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌself.rɪˈproʊ.tʃɪŋ/

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of 'reproach' can be tricky. The 're-' prefix is often unstressed, and the vowel in 'proach' can vary slightly depending on regional accents.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Self-reproaching" primarily functions as an adjective (e.g., "a self-reproaching glance"). As an adjective, the stress pattern remains consistent. It can also function as a present participle of a verb, but the syllabification and stress remain the same.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Characterized by or given to blaming oneself; feeling or expressing remorse.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective (primarily), Present Participle
• Synonyms: remorseful, penitent, self-critical, regretful
• Antonyms: complacent, self-satisfied, unrepentant
• Examples:
  • "He gave a self-reproaching sigh."
  • "She had a self-reproaching look on her face."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "understanding": un-der-stand-ing. Similar structure with a prefix, root, and suffix. Stress falls on the second syllable. The vowel sounds differ, but the syllable count and general pattern are comparable.
• "overlooking": o-ver-look-ing. Similar structure with a prefix, root, and suffix. Stress falls on the second syllable. The vowel sounds differ, but the syllable count and general pattern are comparable.
• "misleading": mis-lead-ing. Similar structure with a prefix, root, and suffix. Stress falls on the second syllable. The vowel sounds differ, but the syllable count and general pattern are comparable.

The key difference in "self-reproaching" is the initial 'self-' which adds an extra syllable and shifts the stress pattern.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• self: /self/ - Open syllable. No specific rule needed, it's a standalone morpheme.
• re: /ri/ - Open syllable. Vowel followed by a consonant. Rule: Vowel-Consonant (VC) creates an open syllable.
• proach: /proʊtʃ/ - Closed syllable. Consonant cluster ending in a consonant. Rule: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) creates a closed syllable.
• ing: /ɪŋ/ - Closed syllable. Vowel followed by nasal consonant cluster. Rule: Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC) creates a closed syllable.

Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel-Consonant (VC): Creates open syllables (e.g., "re").
• Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC): Creates closed syllables (e.g., "proach").
• Vowel-Consonant-Consonant (VCC): Creates closed syllables (e.g., "ing").
• Morpheme Boundary: Syllables are often divided at morpheme boundaries (e.g., "self-re").

Special Considerations:

• The 're-' prefix is often unstressed, influencing the stress pattern.
• The vowel sound in 'proach' can vary slightly regionally.
• The 'ch' digraph is treated as a single consonant sound in this context.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "re" to a schwa /rə/, but this doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.