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Hyphenation ofdépolymérisèrent

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

dé-po-ly-mé-ri-sè-rèrent

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/de.pɔ.li.me.ʁi.zɛ.ʁɛ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0000001

Stress falls on the last syllable ('rèrent') in French.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

/de/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

po/pɔ/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

ly/li/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

/me/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

ri/ʁi/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

/zɛ/

Open syllable, vowel-initial.

rèrent/ʁɛ̃/

Closed syllable, ending in a consonant.

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

dé-(prefix)
+
polymér-(root)
+
-isèrent(suffix)

Prefix: dé-

Latin origin, meaning 'removal' or 'reversal'.

Root: polymér-

Greek origin (poly- 'many' + meros 'part'), relating to polymers.

Suffix: -isèrent

French inflectional suffix indicating 3rd person plural past historic tense.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To depolymerize

Translation: To depolymerize

Examples:

"Les scientifiques dépolymérisèrent le plastique pour le recycler."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

polymérisationpo-ly-mé-ri-sa-tion

Similar root and suffix structure, demonstrating consistent vowel-centered syllabification.

dépolymérisationdé-po-ly-mé-ri-sa-tion

Addition of the 'dé-' prefix, illustrating how prefixes create new syllables.

réalisèrentré-a-li-sè-rent

Similar ending '-sèrent', showing consistent syllabification of the inflectional suffix.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Centered Syllabification

Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.

Consonant Cluster Handling

Consonant clusters are generally not broken unless they are complex and difficult to pronounce.

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

The pronunciation of the 'r' sound (/ʁ/) can vary regionally but does not affect syllabification.

Nasal vowels can sometimes influence syllabification, but in this case, 'ɛ̃' is treated as part of the final syllable.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'dépolymérisèrent' is divided into seven syllables based on vowel sounds. It consists of the prefix 'dé-', the root 'polymér-', and the suffix '-isèrent'. Stress falls on the final syllable. Syllabification follows standard French rules prioritizing vowel nuclei and avoiding unnecessary consonant cluster breaks.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "dépolymérisèrent" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "dépolymérisèrent" is a conjugated verb form in French. It's a relatively complex word, built from a prefix, root, and several suffixes. Pronunciation involves liaison possibilities and vowel elision depending on the following word in a sentence.

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: dé- (Latin origin, meaning "removal," "reversal," or "downward"). Morphological function: negation or reversal of the action of the verb.
  • Root: polymér- (Greek origin: poly meaning "many" and meros meaning "part"). Morphological function: the core meaning of the verb, relating to polymers.
  • Suffix: -isèrent (French inflectional suffix). Morphological function: 3rd person plural past historic/remote past tense. This suffix is built from multiple morphemes: -i- (thematic vowel) + -s- (3rd person plural marker) + -èrent (past historic ending).

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group. In this case, the final syllable is stressed.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/de.pɔ.li.me.ʁi.zɛ.ʁɛ̃/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

  • /de/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. No consonant clusters to break. Exception: None.
  • po /pɔ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'o' forms the nucleus. Exception: None.
  • ly /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'y' (pronounced /i/) forms the nucleus. Exception: None.
  • /me/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'é' forms the nucleus. Exception: None.
  • ri /ʁi/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'i' forms the nucleus. Exception: None.
  • /zɛ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'è' forms the nucleus. Exception: None.
  • rèrent /ʁɛ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The final consonant 'r' closes the syllable. Exception: Nasal vowel 'ɛ̃' can sometimes influence syllabification, but here it's treated as part of the syllable.

7. Edge Case Review:

The 'r' sound in French is often pronounced as a uvular fricative (/ʁ/), which can sometimes create a slight break in the flow of the word. However, it doesn't necessitate a separate syllable.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Dépolymérisèrent" is exclusively a verb form (3rd person plural past historic of "dépolymériser"). Syllabification doesn't change based on grammatical role as it's a conjugated verb.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Word: dépolymérisèrent
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • Definitions:
    • "To depolymerize" - to break down a polymer into smaller molecules.
    • Translation: To depolymerize
  • Synonyms: décomposer (to decompose), déstructurer (to deconstruct)
  • Antonyms: polymériser (to polymerize)
  • Examples:
    • "Les scientifiques dépolymérisèrent le plastique pour le recycler." (The scientists depolymerized the plastic to recycle it.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in French pronunciation are minimal for this word. The /ʁ/ sound might vary slightly (e.g., a more guttural sound in some regions), but this doesn't affect the syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

  • polymérisation (polymerization): po-ly-mé-ri-sa-tion. Similar syllable structure, demonstrating the consistent application of vowel-centered syllabification.
  • dépolymérisation (depolymerization): dé-po-ly-mé-ri-sa-tion. The addition of the prefix 'dé-' simply adds an initial syllable.
  • réalisèrent (they realized): ré-a-li-sè-rent. Similar ending '-sèrent', showing consistent syllabification of the inflectional suffix.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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