Hyphenation ofcontre-passassiez

Analysis of "contre-passassiez"

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

1. IPA Transcription:

/kɔ̃tʁə.pa.sa.sje/

2. Morphemic Breakdown:

• Prefix: contre- (Old French, from Latin contra - against). Function: preposition/prefix indicating opposition.
• Root: pass- (Latin passus - past participle of pati - to suffer, undergo). Function: base for the verb.
• Suffix: -ass- (French, iterative/augmentative past participle marker). Function: indicates repetition or intensification in the past.
• Suffix: -iez (French, imperfect subjunctive ending). Function: verb conjugation marker, 2nd person plural.

3. Stressed Syllable(s):

The primary stress falls on the last syllable: /sa.sje/. French stress is generally on the final syllable of a phrase or breath group, and this holds true here.

4. Syllables List with IPA and Rule Explanations:

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. Exception: Nasal vowel creates a single syllable.
• trə-: /tʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. Schwa sound.
• pa-: /pa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.
• sa-: /sa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel.
• sje-: /sje/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs after a vowel when followed by a consonant.

5. Syllable Division Rule Explanations:

• French syllable structure generally follows the CV (Consonant-Vowel) pattern.
• Syllable division primarily occurs before vowels.
• Consonant clusters are generally broken up, but certain clusters are maintained within a syllable.
• Nasal vowels (like /ɔ̃/) typically form a single syllable.
• Schwa (/ə/) often forms its own syllable, especially in unstressed positions.

6. Exceptions/Special Cases per Syllable:

• "con-": The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ creates a single syllable despite the following consonant.
• "trə-": The schwa sound /ə/ is a reduced vowel and often forms a weak syllable.
• "sje-": The final "z" is pronounced as /ʒ/ and closes the syllable.

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

• The compound nature of the word (prefix, root, suffixes) requires careful consideration of morphemic boundaries when applying syllabification rules.
• The presence of the schwa sound adds complexity.

8. Grammatical Role & Syllabification Shifts:

"Contre-passassiez" is exclusively the 2nd person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "contrepasser" (to counter-pass). As it is a verb form, the syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Subjunctive)
• Definitions:
  • "You (plural) were counter-passing." (Translation)
  • A highly literary and archaic form expressing a hypothetical or conditional action in the past.
• Synonyms: (Modern equivalents would be used in contemporary French) - vous passiez en sens inverse, vous dépassiez.
• Antonyms: vous restiez immobiles (you remained still).
• Examples: "Si vous aviez pu contre-passer, l'accident aurait été évité." (If you had been able to counter-pass, the accident would have been avoided.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /kɔ̃tʁə.pa.sa.sje/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or the pronunciation of the final consonant. However, these variations would not significantly alter the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• "contre-attaquiez": con-trə-a-ta-quiez. Similar syllable structure, with a prefix and verb ending.
• "contre-réagissiez": kɔ̃tʁə-ʁe-a-ʒi-sje. Similar prefix, complex verb form, and final stress.
• "dépassassiez": de-pa-sa-sje. Similar verb structure with the "-ass-" suffix, but without the prefix.

The syllable division in all these words follows the same principles: division before vowels, consonant clusters handled according to phonotactic constraints, and final stress. The presence of the prefix in "contre-" adds an initial syllable, but the core syllabification of the verb remains consistent.