Hyphenation ofuncommensurability

Linguistic Analysis of "uncommensurability"

1. Pronunciation Examination:

The word "uncommensurability" is a complex word with multiple morphemes and a relatively uncommon stress pattern. Its pronunciation in US English is approximately /ʌn.kəˈmen.sə.rə.bɪl.ɪ.ti/.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only the original letters, is: un-com-men-sur-a-bil-i-ty

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: un- (Old French, negative prefix) - Denotes negation.
• Root: commensur- (Latin commensus, past participle of commēre – to measure together) - Relating to a common measure.
• Suffix: -ability (Latin -abilitas) - Forms abstract nouns denoting capability or quality.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fourth syllable: un-com-men-sur-a-bil-i-ty.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ʌn.kəˈmen.sə.rə.bɪl.ɪ.ti/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "-sur-" can sometimes be a point of variation, but in this case, it clearly forms a syllable due to the vowel sound. The "-bil-" syllable is also a common pattern.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Uncommensurability" primarily functions as a noun. While theoretically it could be used adjectivally (though rare), the syllabification and stress remain consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The state or quality of being not comparable in size or extent; the impossibility of finding a common standard or measure.
• Grammatical Category: Noun
• Synonyms: incomparability, dissimilarity, disproportion
• Antonyms: comparability, similarity, proportion
• Examples: "The uncommensurability of their experiences made it difficult to find common ground."

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Improbability: im-prob-a-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix structure (-ability), stress on the third syllable from the end.
• Incompatibility: in-com-pat-i-bil-i-ty - Similar prefix and suffix structure, stress on the fourth syllable from the end.
• Responsibility: re-spon-si-bil-i-ty - Similar suffix structure, stress on the third syllable from the end.

The differences in stress placement are due to the number of preceding syllables and the weight of those syllables. "Uncommensurability" has a longer prefix and a more complex root, shifting the stress further towards the root.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant (VC) Pattern: Syllables are often divided after a vowel followed by a consonant (e.g., un-, com-, men-, sur-, bil-, i-, ty-).
2. Stress Placement: Stress typically falls on a syllable containing a tense vowel or a syllable with a complex consonant cluster.
3. Morpheme Boundaries: Syllable divisions often align with morpheme boundaries (e.g., un-com-).

Special Considerations:

The word's length and complex morphology make it prone to mis-syllabification. The vowel sounds in unstressed syllables are often reduced to schwa (/ə/), which can affect perceived syllable boundaries.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in "sur," making it closer to /sə/, but this doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.

Short Analysis:

"Uncommensurability" is an eight-syllable word (un-com-men-sur-a-bil-i-ty) with primary stress on the fourth syllable (/ʌn.kəˈmen.sə.rə.bɪl.ɪ.ti/). It's formed from the prefix "un-", the root "commensur-", and the suffix "-ability". Syllable division follows the VC pattern and morpheme boundaries.