When it comes to CSS properties, the word-break attribute is able to split words across lines at specific points (such as the first character extending beyond a certain length). Surprisingly, there seems to be no existing CSS method (even with limited support) for breaking words down into syllables like in traditionally printed books:
... the hymn, which Jude repeated under the sway of a poly-
theistic fancy that he would never have thought of...
Although I acknowledge that
(i) this feature may not frequently be needed on computers (due to dynamic reflow and justification), and
(ii) it would necessitate a hyphenation dictionary on the client's end.
However, it could prove beneficial for extremely long words (think James Joyce!) or simply to emulate the style found in printed materials; especially since modern browsers already offer spell-check capabilities, implementing hyphenation shouldn't pose significant obstacles.
With HTML's lang attribute, we can generally assume the language used; if the required dictionary isn't accessible, graceful degradation could come into play by using an alternative wrapping method.
Therefore, the question arises: Has there been any serious consideration given to syllable breaking within CSS? Or has this concept been dismissed altogether? Could we possibly anticipate its integration in upcoming developments?