Hyphenation ofinsensibilisassent

Linguistic Analysis of "insensibilisassent" (French)

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "insensibilisassent" is a highly complex, archaic French form. It's the third-person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "insensibiliser" (to make insensitive). Pronunciation will be challenging due to the multiple schwas and the final consonant cluster.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, negating prefix, meaning "not")
• Root: sensibil- (Latin sensus - feeling, perception)
• Suffix: -is-(Latin, linking vowel)
• Suffix: -ass- (French, imperfect subjunctive marker, derived from Latin)
• Suffix: -ent (French, third-person plural ending)

4. Stress Identification:

French generally has stress on the final syllable of a phrase or breath group. However, in polysyllabic words, there's a tendency for a weaker stress on the penultimate syllable. In this case, the stress is relatively weak and distributed across the final two syllables.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɛ̃.sɑ̃.si.bi.li.sa.sɑ̃/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• in-: /ɛ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No consonant clusters to break up. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• sen-: /sɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus followed by consonant. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• si-: /si/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus.
• bi-: /bi/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus.
• li-: /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus.
• sa-: /sa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus.
• sɑ̃: /sɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel nucleus. Exception: Nasal vowel.

7. Edge Case Review:

The string of vowels and the presence of nasal vowels create a complex structure. French allows for vowel elision and liaison in connected speech, which could affect the perceived syllabification. However, we are analyzing the isolated word form.

8. Grammatical Role:

As the imperfect subjunctive, the syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: insensibilisassent
• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Subjunctive)
• Definitions:
  • "They would make insensitive"
  • "They would render insensible"
• Translation: They would make insensitive.
• Synonyms: (Modern French) Ils rendraient insensible
• Antonyms: Ils sensibiliseraient (They would sensitize)
• Examples: (Archaic usage) "Si les dieux l'avaient voulu, ils insensibilisassent le peuple à la souffrance." (If the gods had willed it, they would have made the people insensitive to suffering.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Modern French speakers would likely not use this form. Pronunciation would vary slightly depending on regional accents, but the basic syllabification would remain the same.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• sensibilité: /sɑ̃.si.bi.li.te/ - Syllables: sen-si-bi-li-té. Similar vowel structure, but with a final consonant cluster.
• insensible: /ɛ̃.sɑ̃.si.bl/ - Syllables: in-sen-si-ble. Similar prefix and root, but shorter.
• responsabilité: /ʁɛ.sɔ̃.sa.bi.li.te/ - Syllables: re-spon-sa-bi-li-té. Similar internal vowel structure and nasal vowels.

The differences in syllable count are due to the addition of suffixes and prefixes. The core vowel-consonant patterns remain consistent with French phonology.