Hyphenation ofengourdissement

Analysis of "engourdissement"

1. Pronunciation: The word "engourdissement" is pronounced /ɑ̃.ɡuʁ.di.sə.mɑ̃/ in standard French.

2. Syllable Division: en-gou-rdis-se-ment

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: en- (Old French, from Latin in-) - Indicates a state or process.
• Root: gourdi- (Old French, from Frankish gurdjan) - Related to heaviness, numbness.
• Suffix: -issement (French) - Nominal suffix forming nouns from verbs, indicating a process or result. Derived from Latin -imentum.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: /ɑ̃.ɡuʁ.di.sə.ˈmɑ̃/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ɑ̃.ɡuʁ.di.sə.mɑ̃/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllable structure is primarily based on vowel nuclei. Consonant clusters are generally broken according to sonority. The "r" sound can sometimes create complexities, but in this case, it follows a vowel and is part of the syllable.

7. Grammatical Role: "Engourdissement" is exclusively a noun. As such, the syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A state of numbness, torpor, or emotional coldness.
• Translation: Numbness, torpor, apathy.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (masculine)
• Synonyms: engourdissement, torpeur, apathie, insensibilité
• Antonyms: vivacité, sensibilité, enthousiasme
• Examples:
  • "Il ressentait un engourdissement après l'accident." (He felt numbness after the accident.)
  • "L'engourdissement de la population face à la politique était inquiétant." (The apathy of the population towards politics was worrying.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Amour (love): a-mour /a.muʁ/ - Similar open syllable structure.
• Sentiment (feeling): sen-ti-ment /sɑ̃.ti.mɑ̃/ - Similar ending in "-ment" with a nasal vowel.
• Tourment (torment): tour-ment /tuʁ.mɑ̃/ - Similar structure with a consonant cluster followed by a nasal vowel.

The differences lie in the initial consonant clusters and the vowel qualities, but the overall syllable structure principles remain consistent.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

• en: /ɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Every syllable must have a vowel nucleus. Exception: None.
• gou: /ɡuʁ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the onset. Exception: None.
• rdis: /ʁdi/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant clusters are broken after the onset. Exception: None.
• se: /sə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Every syllable must have a vowel nucleus. Exception: None.
• ment: /mɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Every syllable must have a vowel nucleus. Exception: None.

Division Rules Applied:

• Vowel Nucleus Rule: Every syllable must contain a vowel sound.
• Onset-Rime Division: Syllables are divided between the onset (initial consonants) and the rime (vowel and following consonants).
• Sonority Sequencing Principle: Consonant clusters are broken based on sonority, generally after the onset.

Special Considerations:

• The nasal vowels /ɑ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ can sometimes influence syllabification, but in this case, they function as the nucleus of their respective syllables.
• The "r" sound is a tricky case in French, but it follows a vowel and is therefore part of the preceding syllable.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /ɑ̃.ɡuʁ.di.sə.mɑ̃/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or the pronunciation of the "r" sound. However, these variations generally do not affect the core syllabification.