Hyphenation ofcauchemardeuses

Analysis of "cauchemardeuses"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "cauchemardeuses" is a French adjective meaning "nightmarish" (feminine plural). It's derived from "cauchemar" (nightmare) and the feminine plural adjective ending "-uses". Pronunciation involves a complex sequence of sounds, including nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are pronounceable as separate syllables, the division is as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: None
• Root: chemar (from Old French chever, ultimately from Latin capra "goat" - originally referring to a demon sitting on someone's chest during sleep, like a goat).
• Suffix:
  • -mar- (part of the root, related to the nightmare experience)
  • -de- (linking vowel, common in French derivations)
  • -uses (feminine plural adjective ending, Latin origin)

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this case, the stress is on the final syllable "-ses".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/koʃmaʁ.da.zøz/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "ch" digraph is pronounced /ʃ/ in this word. The "eau" sequence is pronounced /o/. The final "-es" is pronounced /zø/, indicating a liaison possibility with a following vowel.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Cauchemardeuses" is primarily an adjective. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Causing nightmares; nightmarish.
• Part of Speech: Adjective (feminine plural)
• Translation: Nightmarish
• Synonyms: effrayantes, terrifiantes, horribles
• Antonyms: rassurantes, apaisantes
• Examples: "Des nuits cauchemardeuses." (Nightmarish nights.) "Des images cauchemardeuses." (Nightmarish images.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "cauchemar" (nightmare): /koʃ.maʁ/ - Syllables: cau-che-mar. Similar structure, but shorter.
• "aventureuses" (adventurous - feminine plural): /avɑ̃.ty.ʁøz/ - Syllables: a-ven-tu-reu-ses. Similar ending "-uses", but different initial consonant cluster.
• "marcheuses" (walkers - feminine plural): /maʁ.ʃøz/ - Syllables: mar-cheu-ses. Shares the "-ses" ending and a similar vowel structure.

Syllable Breakdown Details:

• cau-: /ko/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: "ch" is treated as a single phoneme.
• che-: /ʃə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel preceded by consonant cluster.
• mar-: /maʁ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel preceded by consonant.
• deu-: /də/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel preceded by consonant.
• ses: /zøz/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster at the end of the word.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant Division: Syllables are generally divided after vowels.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are kept together unless they can be naturally separated in pronunciation.
3. Final Syllable Rule: The final syllable often includes any remaining consonants.

Special Considerations:

The "ch" digraph is a single phoneme, influencing the syllable division. The liaison potential of the final "-es" doesn't affect the syllabification itself, only the pronunciation in connected speech.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Pronunciation is relatively standard, but subtle variations in vowel quality might occur depending on regional accents. These variations wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.