Hyphenation ofcontre-passasses

Analysis of "contre-passasses"

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "contre-passasses" is a complex verb form in French, specifically the past subjunctive. Pronunciation involves liaison possibilities and vowel elisions depending on context. The 's' at the end of 'passasses' is pronounced due to the following word.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: contre- (Latin contra - against, opposing). Function: prepositional prefix modifying the verb.
• Root: pass- (Latin passus - past participle of pati - to suffer, undergo). Function: verb stem.
• Suffix: -asses (French verbal inflection). Function: indicates 3rd person plural past subjunctive.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress in French generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this case, it falls on "-sses".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/kɔ̃tʁ.pa.sas/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. No consonant clusters to break. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• tre-: /tʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'e' creates a new syllable. 'tr' is a permissible initial consonant cluster.
• pa-: /pa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'a' creates a new syllable.
• sas-: /sas/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'a' creates a new syllable.
• ses-: /səs/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'e' creates a new syllable.

7. Edge Case Review:

The compound nature of the word (prefix + root + suffix) requires careful consideration. The hyphen in "contre-passasses" is orthographic and doesn't necessarily dictate a phonetic break. Liaison is possible between "contre" and "passasses" in connected speech, potentially blurring the syllable boundaries.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Contre-passasses" is exclusively a verb form (past subjunctive, 3rd person plural). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Past subjunctive of the verb "contrepasser" (to counter-pass, to overtake).
• Translation: (They) had counter-passed.
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Synonyms: None directly applicable due to the specific tense.
• Antonyms: None directly applicable due to the specific tense.
• Examples: "S'ils avaient contre-passé, ils auraient gagné la course." (If they had counter-passed, they would have won the race.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Pronunciation is relatively standard across French-speaking regions. However, subtle variations in vowel quality or liaison may occur.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• intéressant: in-té-res-sant - Similar syllable structure with vowel-based divisions.
• dépassées: dé-pas-sées - Similar prefix and past participle structure, with comparable syllabification.
• comprendre: com-pren-dre - Demonstrates a similar pattern of vowel-based syllable division, though with a different prefix and root.

The differences lie in the specific consonant clusters and vowel sounds, but the underlying principle of vowel-centric syllabification remains consistent.