Hyphenation ofcontre-attaquasse

Analysis of "contre-attaquasse"

This analysis will break down the French word "contre-attaquasse" into its constituent syllables, morphemes, and phonetic representation, adhering to established French phonological rules.

1. IPA Transcription:

/kɔ̃tʁ‿a.tak.vas/

2. Morphemic Breakdown:

• Prefix: contre- (Old French, from Latin contra - against). Function: Indicates opposition or reversal.
• Root: attaqu- (Old French, from Old North French atake - attack, from Frankish atauhhan - to attack). Function: Core meaning of the word.
• Suffix: -asse (French, imperfect subjunctive). Function: Verb conjugation, indicating hypothetical or conditional action in the past.

3. Stressed Syllable(s):

The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /a.tak.vas/. French stress is generally on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group, and in this case, the final syllable of the word receives the strongest accent.

4. Syllables List with IPA and Rule Explanations:

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable. Syllable division occurs before a vowel. Rule: French generally divides syllables before vowels.
• tre: /tʁ/ - Closed syllable. Syllable division occurs after a consonant before a vowel. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally broken before vowels.
• at-: /a/ - Open syllable. Syllable division occurs before a vowel. Rule: French generally divides syllables before vowels. Liaison occurs between 'tre' and 'at'.
• ta-: /tak/ - Closed syllable. Syllable division occurs after a consonant before a vowel. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally broken before vowels.
• vas: /vas/ - Closed syllable. Syllable division occurs after a consonant before a vowel. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally broken before vowels.

5. Syllable Division Rule Explanations:

• Rule 1: Vowel-Initial Syllables: French syllables generally begin with a vowel sound. This is applied in the division of "con-" and "at-".
• Rule 2: Consonant Clusters: When consonant clusters occur, French tends to break them before vowels. This is applied in the division of "tre", "ta-", and "vas".
• Rule 3: Liaison: Liaison occurs between the final consonant of "contre" and the initial vowel of "attaquasse", creating a smoother phonetic transition.

6. Exceptions/Special Cases per Syllable:

• The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ in "con-" is a common feature of French phonology and doesn't present a syllabification exception.
• The liaison between "tre" and "attaquasse" is a common phonetic phenomenon, but doesn't alter the underlying syllabic structure.

7. Exceptions/Special Cases for the Word as a Whole:

The imperfect subjunctive ending "-asse" is relatively uncommon in modern French, making the word somewhat archaic. However, its syllabification follows standard rules.

8. Grammatical Role & Syllabification Shifts:

"Contre-attaquer" is a verb. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb tense or mood.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Subjunctive)
• Definitions:
  • "To counterattack" - to respond to an attack with one's own attack.
  • Translation: To counterattack
  • Synonyms: riposter, répliquer
  • Antonyms: céder, reculer
  • Examples: "Il aurait pu contre-attaquer, mais il a préféré se défendre." (He could have counterattacked, but he preferred to defend himself.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /kɔ̃tʁ‿a.tak.vas/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or the degree of liaison. However, these variations generally do not affect the core syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• attaque: /a.tak/ - Syllabification is similar, demonstrating the consistent application of vowel-initial syllable division and consonant cluster breaking.
• contre: /kɔ̃tʁ/ - Syllabification is similar, showing the same rules for nasal vowels and consonant clusters.
• passe: /pas/ - Syllabification is similar, demonstrating the consistent application of vowel-initial syllable division and consonant cluster breaking.