Hyphenation ofcontre-passassions

Analysis of "contre-passassions" (French)

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "contre-passassions" presents challenges due to the consonant clusters and the presence of the prefix "contre-". French syllable structure generally avoids consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables, leading to potential epenthesis or adjustments in syllable division. The 'ss' sequence also requires careful consideration.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid stranded consonants, the division is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: contre- (Old French, from Latin contra - against). Function: prepositional prefix indicating opposition.
• Root: pass- (From Latin passus - step, suffering, past participle of pati - to suffer). Function: forms the base of the verb.
• Suffix: -ass- (French iterative/augmentative suffix, originally from Latin ad- + passus). Function: indicates repetition or intensification.
• Suffix: -ions (French verbal ending, from Latin -ionem). Function: marks the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive.

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/kɔ̃tʁə.pa.sa.sjɔ̃/

6. Syllable List with IPA and Rule Explanations:

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Potential exception: nasal vowel can sometimes influence division.
• tre: /tʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by schwa. The 'r' is a French uvular 'r'.
• pa: /pa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• sas: /sa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel. The 's' is pronounced.
• sions: /sjɔ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster. Nasal vowel.

7. Syllable Division Rules Applied:

• Avoid Stranded Consonants: French avoids leaving consonants without a following vowel.
• Vowel-Centric Division: Syllables are built around vowel sounds.
• Consonant Cluster Resolution: Clusters are broken where possible to create pronounceable syllables.

8. Exceptions and Special Cases:

The "contre-" prefix can sometimes lead to elision or liaison, but in this case, it remains distinct. The 'ss' sequence is pronounced as a single /s/ sound, but the syllable division reflects the orthography.

9. Grammatical Role:

"Contre-passassions" is the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "contre-passer" (to counter-pass, to go beyond). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb form.

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in French pronunciation are minimal for this word. The uvular 'r' might be slightly different in some regions, but it doesn't affect syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• com-préhension: /kɔ̃.pʁe.ɑ̃.sjɔ̃/ - Syllable division: com-pré-hen-sion. Similar structure with a prefix and multiple syllables.
• trans-mission: /tʁɑ̃s.mi.sjɔ̃/ - Syllable division: trans-mis-sion. Similar prefix and ending, demonstrating consistent syllabification.
• im-pression: /ɛ̃.pʁɛ.sjɔ̃/ - Syllable division: im-pres-sion. Similar ending and syllable structure.

These comparisons show that the syllable division in "contre-passassions" aligns with standard French syllabification patterns. The presence of the prefix and the final "-sions" ending are common features in these words.