Hyphenation ofsupersensualistic

Linguistic Analysis of "supersensualistic"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "supersensualistic" is pronounced /ˌsuːpərˌsɛnˈʃuːəlɪstɪk/ in US English. It presents challenges due to its length, multiple suffixes, and vowel clusters.

2. Syllable Division:

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

su-per-sen-su-al-is-tic

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: super- (Latin, meaning "above," "over," or "beyond"). Morphological function: intensifier.
• Root: sens- (Latin, from sensus, meaning "sense," "feeling," or "perception"). Morphological function: core meaning relating to sensation.
• Suffix: -ual (Latin, adjectival suffix, forming adjectives from nouns or verbs). Morphological function: creates an adjective.
• Suffix: -istic (Latin/Greek, suffix denoting a characteristic of or relating to). Morphological function: forms an adjective indicating a quality or style.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third-to-last syllable: /ˌsuːpərˌsɛnˈʃuːəlɪstɪk/. This is due to the presence of the schwa followed by a stressed vowel.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌsuːpərˌsɛnˈʃuːəlɪstɪk/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-su-al-" can sometimes be ambiguous, but the vowel quality and stress pattern clearly separate these syllables. The "-istic" suffix is relatively straightforward, though the 'i' can be reduced to a schwa in faster speech.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Relating to or characterized by sensations that are beyond the normal or usual; excessively or intensely sensual.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Synonyms: hypersexual, oversensual, intensely sensual
• Antonyms: asexual, non-sensual, platonic
• Examples: "The artist's work was criticized for its supersensualistic imagery." "The novel explored themes of love and loss in a supersensualistic manner."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Fantastic: fan-tas-tic. Similar structure with suffixes, but shorter. Stress on the second syllable.
• Realistic: re-al-is-tic. Similar suffix "-istic", but different prefix. Stress on the second syllable.
• Sensational: sen-sa-tion-al. Shares the root "sens-", but different suffixes. Stress on the second syllable.

The differences in stress placement are due to the length of the word and the presence of the "super-" prefix, which creates a longer initial unstressed sequence in "supersensualistic".

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Onset-Rime Division: Syllables are divided based on the onset (initial consonant sound(s)) and rime (vowel and any following consonants).
2. Vowel-Consonant Division: Syllables are often divided after a vowel sound.
3. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are often split to create permissible syllable structures.
4. Syllable Weight Principle: Syllables prefer to be of a certain weight (number of phonemes), influencing division.
5. Final Consonant Rule: Final consonants typically remain with the following vowel.

Special Considerations:

The length of the word and the multiple suffixes require careful application of syllabification rules. The vowel clusters (e.g., "-su-al-") are handled by applying the vowel-consonant division rule.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

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

Short Analysis:

"Supersensualistic" is a seven-syllable adjective with primary stress on the third-to-last syllable. It's derived from Latin roots and suffixes, and its syllabification follows standard English rules of onset-rime division, vowel-consonant separation, and consonant cluster handling. The word describes something excessively sensual.