Hyphenation ofintercontinentaux

Analysis of "intercontinentaux"

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "intercontinentaux" is a masculine plural adjective in French. Its pronunciation involves liaison possibilities depending on the following word in a sentence. The final 'x' is typically pronounced as /z/ in liaison.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are complex, the word divides as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: inter- (Latin, meaning "between" or "among") - functions to indicate a relationship or connection between continents.
• Root: continent- (Latin continens, present participle of continere "to hold together") - refers to a large landmass.
• Suffix: -aux (French, masculine plural adjective ending) - indicates gender and number. This suffix is derived from the Latin accusative plural ending.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this case, the stress falls on the final syllable "-aux".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɛ̃.tɛʁ.kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃.to.z‿o/ (with potential liaison /z/)

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 sounds. No consonant clusters to break.
• ter-: /tɛʁ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant 'r' follows a vowel, creating a syllable boundary.
• con-: /kɔ̃/ - Nasal vowel syllable. Rule: Nasal vowels form their own syllable.
• ti-: /ti/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'i' creates a syllable.
• nen-: /nɑ̃/ - Nasal vowel syllable. Rule: Nasal vowels form their own syllable.
• to-: /to/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound 'o' creates a syllable.
• -aux: /z‿o/ - Closed syllable (potentially with liaison). Rule: Final consonant cluster 'x' is pronounced as /z/ in liaison, forming a syllable with the following vowel.

7. Exceptions & Special Cases:

• The 'x' at the end of the word is a potential point of variation due to liaison.
• French syllabification generally avoids leaving a single consonant at the beginning of a syllable unless it's part of a consonant cluster.

8. Grammatical Role & Syllabification:

As an adjective, the syllabification remains consistent. If used as a noun (though rare), the syllabification would not change.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Relating to or connecting multiple continents.
• Translation: Intercontinental
• Grammatical Category: Adjective (masculine plural)
• Synonyms: mondial, transcontinental
• Antonyms: local, régional
• Examples: "des vols intercontinentaux" (intercontinental flights), "les relations intercontinentales" (intercontinental relations).

10. Regional Variations:

Pronunciation of the final 'x' can vary slightly depending on the region, but the syllabification remains consistent.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• international: in-ter-na-tio-nal - Similar syllable structure, with vowel-consonant alternation.
• continental: con-ti-nen-tal - Shares the root "continent" and similar syllable division patterns.
• extraordinaires: ex-tra-or-di-nai-res - Demonstrates a more complex consonant cluster, but still follows the rule of forming syllables around vowel sounds.