Hyphenation ofgezondheidsgevaarlijk

Linguistic Analysis of "gezondheidsgevaarlijk" (Dutch)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "gezondheidsgevaarlijk" is a complex Dutch adjective meaning "hazardous to health." It's a compound word built from several morphemes. Pronunciation involves a mix of vowel qualities and consonant clusters typical of Dutch.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which generally favor open syllables (CV) and avoid breaking up consonant clusters unless absolutely necessary, the division is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: ge- (Dutch, prefix forming adjectives from nouns or verbs, often indicating a state or quality)
• Root: zond (related to gezond - healthy, from Old Dutch gesund, ultimately Germanic)
• Suffix 1: -heid (Dutch, nominalizing suffix, forming abstract nouns, equivalent to "-ness" in English, from Middle Dutch heit)
• Suffix 2: -s- (Dutch, genitive marker, linking nouns, from Old Dutch es)
• Root: gevaar (Dutch, danger, from Old Dutch gevara, Germanic origin)
• Suffix 3: -lijk (Dutch, adjectival suffix, meaning "like," "prone to," or "hazardous," from Middle Dutch lic)

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: ge-vaar-lijk.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɣəˈzɔndɦɛitsɣəˈvaːrlɪk/

6. Edge Case Review:

Dutch syllabification can be tricky with consonant clusters. The zond portion is a potential edge case, but it's generally treated as a single syllable due to the common occurrence of /z/ followed by a vowel in Dutch.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Hazardous to health; posing a health risk.
• Grammatical Category: Adjective
• Translation: Hazardous to health
• Synonyms: ongezond (unhealthy), schadelijk (harmful)
• Antonyms: gezond (healthy), veilig (safe)
• Examples:
  • "Roken is gezondheidsgevaarlijk." (Smoking is hazardous to health.)
  • "De vervuiling is gezondheidsgevaarlijk." (The pollution is hazardous to health.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "gezondheid" (health): ge-zond-heid. Similar structure, stress on the second syllable.
• "gevaarlijk" (dangerous): ge-vaar-lijk. Shares the gevaar- root and -lijk suffix, stress pattern is the same.
• "onveiligheid" (insecurity): on-vei-lig-heid. Demonstrates a different prefix and root, but the suffixation pattern is comparable. The syllable division is more straightforward due to fewer consonant clusters.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Open Syllable Preference: Dutch favors open syllables (CV). This is applied throughout the word.
• Rule 2: Consonant Cluster Handling: Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they are exceptionally difficult to pronounce. This applies to zond and vaar.
• Rule 3: Morpheme Boundaries: Syllable division often respects morpheme boundaries, but this is not a strict rule.

11. Special Considerations:

The length of the word and the multiple suffixes create a complex structure. Regional variations in pronunciation might slightly affect the perceived syllable boundaries, but the core division remains consistent.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in the first syllable (ge-), but this doesn't significantly alter the syllabification.