Division of Words | Page 7

of the syllable. It has the defect of making no provision for syllables that end in consonants. Moreover, if rigorously applied it would give us such divisions as _ca-pa-ci-ty_, _cata-stro-phe_, _lexi-co-gra-pher_, _pre-fe-rence_, _pro-gno-sti-cate_, and _re-co-gnize_.
Another system requires the division of consolidated words at the junction of their elements, for example:
_magn-animous_ _cata-clysm_ _found-ation_ _oceano-graphy_ _theo-logy_ _know-ledge_ _lexi-co-grapher_ _in-fer-ence_ _pre-judice_ _pro-gnos-ticate_ _pro-position_ _typo-graphy_
In some cases this rule would lead to queer looking divisions. More serious objections are that the system does not provide for words that are long enough to be divided but are yet not consolidated words, and, most of all, that the average compositor is not an accomplished etymologist and knows very little about the derivation, make up, and compounding of the words he has to set up. He may be familiar, for example with the word rheostat, but it would puzzle him to tell from what language it is derived, while the word enclave would probably send him to the dictionary for meaning as well as derivation, unless he happened to be used to one particular kind of writing.
Another system, and probably on the whole the best one, requires the division of the word on the accented syllable.
_theol-ogy_ _catas-trophe_ _geog-raphy_ _lexi-cog-rapher_ _pref-erence_ _prog-nos-ticate_
It will be noted that some of these examples show division in more than one place, that is on the syllables which bear either the primary or the secondary accent. This rule does not provide for the cases when the division must come on an unaccented syllable. The cases, however, when the division cannot be made to come on either the syllable bearing the primary accent or one bearing a secondary accent will be comparatively few.

RULES FOR DIVISION OF WORDS
I The general rule, then, is to divide according to pronunciation, not according to etymology or any hard and fast rule.
As far as possible, consistently with pronunciation and good spacing, divide according to meaning and derivation, where known.
_un-even_, not _une-ven_, _auto-mobile_, not _automo-bile_, _en-abled_, not _ena-bled_.
II Divide on a vowel wherever practicable. In case a vowel alone forms a syllable in the middle of a word it should be run into the first line.
_busi-ness_ _sepa-rate_ _criti-cism_ _particu-lar_ _colo-nies_ _dou-ble_ _pro-gress_ _pro-duct_ _noi-sy_ _wo-man_ _pa-tron_ _me-moir_
III When two consonants meet between vowels, and the syllable ends on one consonant, the division may properly be made between the consonants, the pronunciation determining the place of division.
_advan-tage_ _plain-tiff_ _Wil-liam_ _exces-sive_ _scur-rilous_ _mas-ter_ _gram-mar_ _profes-sor_ _moun-tain_
IV When three consonants come together between two vowels the first of which is short, the division comes after the first consonant.
_han-dle_ _chil-dren_ _frus-trate_
V A single consonant between two vowels should be joined to the first vowel, if it is short; if the first vowel is long the consonant goes with the second.
_riv-er_ _ri-val_
VI Diphthongs should not be divided.
_peo-ple_ _Cae-sar_
VII Words compounded with a prefix should preferably be divided on the prefix.
_dis-avow_ _in-herit_ _un-concern_
VIII The terminations _-able_, _-ible_, _-tion_, _-cial_, _-tive_, and _-ive_ should go over to the next line.
_read-able_ _convert-ible_ _inten-tion_ _discuss-ion_
The termination _-sion_ ordinarily goes over as in
_occa-sion_ _apprehen-sion_ _cis-sion_ _declen-sion_
Occasionally, however, the strong emphasis needed for the s will call for a different arrangement, as in _divis-ion_.
IX The terminations _-ing_, _-en_, _-ed_, _-er_, _-est_, and the plural _-es_ go over to the next line except when the preceding consonant is doubled, or when they follow c or g soft.
_lead-ing_ _beat-en_ _larg-er_, but _lat-ter_ _for-cing_ _ran-ging_
X Do not end a line with j or with c or g soft.
_pro-cess_ _ne-cessary_ _pre-judice_ _prog-eny_
XI Adjectives in ical divide on the i.
_physi-cal_ _inimi-cal_
XII In derivatives of words ending in _-t_, the division follows the accent.
_objec-tion_, not _object-ion_, _defec-tion_, not _defect-ion_, but _respec-tively_, not _respect-ively_ and _distinc-tion_, not _distinct-ion_.
XIII Never separate c and g from the vowels e, i, and y upon which their soft sound depends.
_re-li-gion_ _ca-pa-ci-ty_
XIV Never separate q from u, qu is a single sound.
XV Do not divide nothing.
XVI Do not divide words of four letters.
XVII Do not divide words of five or six letters if it can be avoided. Good spacing, however, must be considered of first importance.
XVIII In wide measures (20 ems or more) do not divide so as to end or begin a line with a syllable of two letters. Here again, however, good spacing is the first consideration.
XIX Do not divide words of two syllables pronounced as one, including past participles of short words.
heaven power prayer beamed often XX Avoid additional hyphens in hyphenated words if possible.
_object-lesson_ _fellow-being_ _poverty-stricken_
XXI Do not separate a divisional mark (_a_), (_1_) from the matter to which it pertains.
XXII Do not divide an amount stated in figures.
XXIII Do not divide proper names, especially those of persons, if it can be avoided.
XXIV Do not divide initials or such combinations as _a.m._, _B.C._
XXV Do not divide the last word on a page so as to carry a part of