Hyphenation ofcontre-passâmes

Analysis of "contre-passâmes"

1. Pronunciation: The word "contre-passâmes" is a conjugated form of the verb "contrepasser" (to counter-pass, to overrule). It's pronounced with a relatively complex sequence of sounds, including nasal vowels and a schwa.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and respecting vowel clusters, is as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• contre-: Prefix (Old French, from Latin contra - against, opposite). Function: Indicates opposition or reversal.
• pass-: Root (Old French, from Latin passus - step, passage). Function: Core meaning related to passing or going beyond.
• -â-: Intervocalic vowel, part of the root.
• -mes: Suffix (Old French, from Latin -mus). Function: 1st person plural past historic ending.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable "-mes". This is typical for French verb conjugations, particularly in the past historic tense.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /kɔ̃tʁ.pa.sa.me/

6. Edge Case Review: The elision of the 'e' in "contre" is standard. The presence of the circumflex accent on 'â' indicates a historical 's' that has been lost, influencing pronunciation.

7. Grammatical Role: "Contre-passâmes" is exclusively the 1st person plural past historic form of the verb "contrepasser". Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function, as it's a fixed verb form.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: We overruled, we counter-passed.
• Part of Speech: Verb (Past Historic, 1st person plural)
• Translation: We overruled.
• Synonyms: Nous avons contré, nous avons dépassé (depending on context).
• Antonyms: Nous avons accepté, nous avons approuvé.
• Examples: "Les sénateurs contre-passèrent la proposition de loi." (The senators overruled the bill.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "contre-attaque": /kɔ̃tʁ.a.tak/ - Syllable division: con-tre-at-ta-que. Similar prefix "contre-", but different root and suffix. Stress is on the penultimate syllable.
• "passager": /pa.sa.ʒe/ - Syllable division: pas-sa-ger. Shares the root "pass-", but different prefix and suffix. Stress is on the antepenultimate syllable.
• "remettons": /ʁə.mɛ.tɔ̃/ - Syllable division: re-met-tons. Similar suffix "-ons" (1st person plural present indicative). Stress is on the final syllable.

The differences in stress patterns are due to the varying length and complexity of the words, as well as the specific tense and mood of the verb. French stress tends to fall on the last syllable of a phrase or a verb form.

10. Syllable Analysis:

• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• tre-: /tʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• pa-: /pa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• sa-: /sa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• mes: /me/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant at the end of the word.

11. Division Rules:

• Maximize Onsets: French generally prefers to maximize the number of consonants in the onset of a syllable.
• Vowel Clusters: Vowel clusters are generally broken up, creating separate syllables.
• Final Consonants: Consonants at the end of a word typically form a closed syllable.

12. Special Considerations: The circumflex accent on 'â' doesn't directly affect syllabification but indicates a historical sound change. The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ in "con-" is a characteristic feature of French phonology.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /kɔ̃tʁ.pa.sa.me/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or the pronunciation of the 'r' sound. These variations wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.

14. Short Analysis: "Contre-passâmes" is the 1st person plural past historic of "contrepasser". It's divided into five syllables: con-tre-pa-sa-mes, with stress on the final syllable. The word consists of the prefix "contre-", the root "pass-", and the suffix "-mes". Its phonetic transcription is /kɔ̃tʁ.pa.sa.me/.