Hyphenation ofcontramatasemos

Analysis of "contramatasemos" (Spanish)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "contramatasemos" is a complex verb form in Spanish, specifically the first-person plural preterite subjunctive of the verb "contramatar" (to counterkill). Its pronunciation involves a blend of consonant clusters and vowel sounds typical of Spanish.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Spanish syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: contra- (Latin origin, meaning "against," "opposite") - functions as a prepositional prefix modifying the verb.
• Root: mata- (Latin mactare meaning "to kill") - the core meaning of the verb.
• Suffix: -semos (Spanish inflectional suffix) - indicates first-person plural preterite subjunctive.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable, "ta-". This is determined by the standard Spanish accentuation rules: words ending in a consonant other than 'n' or 's' are stressed on the antepenultimate syllable if they have an even number of syllables before the final consonant.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/kontɾa.ma.taˈse.mos/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• con- /kon/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• tra- /tɾa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• ma- /ma/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• ta- /ta/ - Stressed, open syllable. Rule: Stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable. No exceptions.
• se- /se/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• mos /mos/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.

7. Edge Case Review:

The 'tr' cluster is a common initial consonant cluster in Spanish and doesn't pose a syllabification challenge. The 'sm' cluster at the end is also common and doesn't require special treatment.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: contramatasemos
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Definitions:
  • "That we counterkill"
  • "That we kill against"
• Translation: "that we counterkilled"
• Synonyms: None readily available due to the specific nature of the verb.
• Antonyms: "salváramos" (that we saved)
• Examples: "Si hubiéramos sabido su plan, lo hubiéramos contramatasemos." (If we had known his plan, we would have counterkilled him.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Pronunciation is fairly standard across Spanish-speaking regions. However, the degree of aspiration of the /ɾ/ sound might vary. Some speakers might pronounce it closer to an English 'r' sound. This doesn't affect syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• caminábamos (we were walking): ca-mi-ná-ba-mos. Similar syllable structure with open syllables and a stressed antepenultimate syllable.
• hablaremos (we will speak): ha-bla-re-mos. Similar syllable structure, but with a different stress pattern (penultimate syllable).
• escribamos (let's write): es-cri-ba-mos. Similar syllable structure, but with a different root and stress pattern.

The consistency in open syllable structure and the application of stress rules demonstrate the regularity of Spanish syllabification. Differences in stress placement are determined by the number of syllables and the final consonant.