Hyphenation ofcontre-murèrent

Analysis of "contre-murèrent"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "contre-murèrent" is a conjugated verb form in French. It's a complex word formed by a prefix, a root, and a suffix. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: contre- (Latin contra - against). Function: prepositional prefix indicating opposition or counteraction.
• Root: mur- (from mur - wall). Function: base of the verb, denoting building or enclosing.
• Suffix: -èrent (from Latin -erunt). Function: 3rd person plural past historic ending.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this case, the stress falls on "-rent".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/kɔ̃tʁə.my.ʁe/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "contre" prefix can sometimes elide to "cont'" before a vowel, but this doesn't affect the syllabification of the full word. The "r" sound is a key element in French syllabification, often forming its own syllable.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Contre-murèrent" is the 3rd person plural past historic form of the verb "contre-murer" (to wall up, to build against). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb tense.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To wall up, to build against, to enclose with walls.
• Grammatical Category: Verb (Past Historic, 3rd person plural)
• Translation: They walled up / They built against.
• Synonyms: clore, barrer, enclore
• Antonyms: ouvrir, démolir
• Examples: "Les soldats contre-murèrent la brèche." (The soldiers walled up the breach.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• comparer: /kɔ̃.pa.ʁe/ - 2 syllables. Similar vowel sounds, but simpler structure.
• remuer: /ʁə.my.e/ - 2 syllables. Shares the "-mur-" root, but lacks the prefix.
• murmurer: /myʁ.my.ʁe/ - 3 syllables. Shares the "-mur-" root, but has a different prefix and vowel structure.

The differences in syllable count are due to the addition of the prefix "contre-" and the varying complexity of the following vowel and consonant clusters.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable, nasal vowel. Rule: Vowel sound initiates a syllable.
• tre-: /tʁə/ - Open syllable, schwa vowel. Rule: Vowel sound initiates a syllable.
• mu-: /my/ - Open syllable, nasal vowel. Rule: Vowel sound initiates a syllable.
• -rè-: /ʁe/ - Open syllable, stressed vowel. Rule: Vowel sound initiates a syllable.
• -rent: /ʁɑ̃/ - Closed syllable, nasal vowel. Rule: Consonant closes the syllable.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Rule: Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they can be naturally separated by a vowel sound.
3. Stress Rule: Stress typically falls on the last syllable.

Special Considerations:

• The "contre" prefix can sometimes elide to "cont'" before a vowel, but this doesn't affect the syllabification of the full word.
• The pronunciation of the "r" sound is crucial in determining syllable boundaries.
• Liaison possibilities exist, but do not alter the core syllabification.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in pronunciation might affect the precise articulation of vowels, but the core syllabification remains consistent.