Hyphenation ofwerkloosheidsbestrijding

Dutch Word Analysis: werkloosheidsbestrijding

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "werkloosheidsbestrijding" (unemployment combatting) is a complex compound noun in Dutch. Its pronunciation involves a series of vowel and consonant clusters typical of the language. It's crucial to consider the schwa reduction common in unstressed syllables.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid splitting digraphs (like 'oo'), the division is as follows (see JSON output for the orthographic representation).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: be- (Germanic origin, prefix indicating action or state) - functions as a verbal prefix, though the word is a noun.
• Root: strijd (Germanic origin, meaning 'struggle', 'fight') - the core meaning of combatting.
• Suffixes:
  • -loos (Germanic origin, meaning 'without') - forms the adjective werkloos (unemployed).
  • -heid (Germanic origin, nominalizing suffix, creating a noun of state) - transforms werkloos into werkloosheid (unemployment).
  • -bestrijding (compound suffix, bestrijden = to combat, –ing nominalizing suffix) - indicates the action of combating.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the fifth syllable: be-strij-ding. Dutch stress is generally on the penultimate syllable, but compound words often have stress on the first element of the final constituent.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈʋɛrˌkloːsˌɦɛitsbəˈstrɛi̯dɪŋ/

6. Edge Case Review:

Dutch syllabification can be tricky with consonant clusters. The 'str' cluster is treated as a single onset. Schwa reduction is significant, affecting the pronunciation of unstressed vowels.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily a noun. While bestrijden is a verb, the compound werkloosheidsbestrijding functions as a noun denoting the act of combating unemployment. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's existence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The act or policy of combating unemployment.
• Translation: Unemployment combatting/fighting.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (de - feminine)
• Synonyms: werkloosheid tegengaan, werkgelegenheid bevorderen (promoting employment)
• Antonyms: werkloosheid accepteren (accepting unemployment)
• Examples:
  • "De overheid investeert in werkloosheidsbestrijding." (The government invests in unemployment combatting.)
  • "Werkloosheidsbestrijding is een belangrijk doel van het beleid." (Unemployment combatting is an important goal of the policy.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• voorbereiding (preparation): voor-be-rei-ding - Similar structure with a prefix and compound suffix. Stress on the penultimate syllable.
• verantwoordelijkheid (responsibility): ver-ant-woor-de-lijk-heid - Longer compound, but follows similar syllabification rules. Stress on the antepenultimate syllable.
• overheidsbeleid (government policy): o-ver-heids-be-leid - Demonstrates how compound words are broken down into constituent parts. Stress on the penultimate syllable.

The differences in stress placement are due to the length and structure of the compound words. Werkloosheidsbestrijding has a more complex final constituent, leading to stress on the fifth syllable.