Hyphenation ofentre-regardâmes

Analysis of "entre-regardâmes"

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "entre-regardâmes" is a conjugated form of the verb "regarder" (to look at) in the passé composé, using the auxiliary verb "être" (to be). It's a relatively complex word due to the enclitic pronoun and the verb conjugation. The pronunciation will follow standard French phonological rules, including liaison and elision where applicable.

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 the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: entre- (Latin inter- meaning "between"). Function: prepositional prefix indicating reciprocity or mutual action.
• Root: regard- (Latin regardare meaning "to look at"). Function: verb stem.
• Suffix: -âmes (from être auxiliary verb, 1st person plural past historic). Function: verb ending indicating person and tense.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group. In this case, the last syllable, "-mes", receives the primary stress.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɑ̃.tʁə.ʁə.ɡaʁ.dam/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• en- /ɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. No consonant clusters to break. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• tre- /tʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'e' creates a syllable. 'tr' is a permissible initial consonant cluster.
• re- /ʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'e' creates a syllable. 'r' is a permissible initial consonant.
• gar- /ɡaʁ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'a' creates a syllable.
• dâ- /da/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'â' creates a syllable.
• mes /dam/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'e' creates a syllable, closed by the consonant 'm'.

7. Edge Case Review:

The hyphenated structure ("entre-regardâmes") presents a slight edge case. While French allows for compound words with hyphens, the syllabification still follows the rules of vowel-centered syllables. The hyphen doesn't inherently dictate a syllable break.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is a verb form. Syllabification doesn't significantly shift based on grammatical role in French, as stress remains on the final syllable.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: entre-regardâmes
• Part of Speech: Verb (passé composé of regarder)
• Definitions:
  • "We looked at each other."
  • "We gazed at one another."
• Translation: We looked at each other.
• Synonyms: nous nous sommes regardés, nous avons échangé des regards
• Antonyms: nous avons ignorés, nous avons détourné le regard
• Examples:
  • "Ils se sont disputés, mais ils s'entre-regardâmes avec tristesse." (They argued, but we looked at each other sadly.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Pronunciation is relatively standard. However, some regional variations might slightly alter the vowel quality (e.g., a more open 'a' sound). These variations wouldn't affect the core syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• regardais /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/ - Syllables: re-gar-dais. Similar structure, final syllable closed.
• regarder /ʁə.ɡaʁ.de/ - Syllables: re-gar-der. Similar structure, final syllable closed.
• entrevoir /ɑ̃.tʁə.vwaʁ/ - Syllables: en-tre-voir. Similar initial prefix, vowel-centered syllables.

The consistency in syllable structure across these words demonstrates the application of the same vowel-centered syllabification rules in French. The presence of consonant clusters (tr, gr, vr) doesn't disrupt the syllable division.