Hyphenation ofinterdépendantes

Linguistic Analysis of "interdépendantes" (French)

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "interdépendantes" is a feminine plural adjective meaning "interdependent." Its pronunciation involves several consonant clusters and nasal vowels, typical of French. The final 's' indicates feminine plural agreement.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are pronounceable as separate syllables, the division is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: inter- (Latin, meaning "between," "among") - functions to indicate reciprocity or mutual action.
• Root: dépend- (Latin dependere, meaning "to hang down from," "to rely on") - the core meaning of reliance.
• Suffix: -antes (Latin, adjectival suffix forming present participles, then evolving into adjectives) - indicates a quality or state of being.
• Suffix: -es (French, feminine plural marker) - indicates grammatical gender and number.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. However, in multi-syllabic words, there's a tendency for a weaker stress on the penultimate syllable. In this case, the primary stress is on the final syllable, "-des".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɛ̃.tɛʁ.de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃.təs/

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. Exception: Nasal vowel.
• ter-: /tɛʁ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant after vowel forms a syllable. The 'r' is a rhotic consonant, creating a closed syllable. Exception: The 'r' is often pronounced as a uvular fricative in standard French.
• dé-: /de/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sound initiates a syllable.
• pan-: /pɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant after vowel forms a syllable. Nasal vowel.
• dant-: /dɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant after vowel forms a syllable. Nasal vowel.
• es-: /təs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant after vowel forms a syllable. The 's' is a final consonant, marking feminine plural.

7. Edge Case Review & Exceptions:

The 'inter-' prefix presents a slight complexity. While it could theoretically be divided as 'in-ter-', French generally prefers to keep prefixes intact when they form a recognizable unit. The nasal vowels /ɛ̃/ and /ɑ̃/ require careful transcription and can be challenging for non-native speakers.

8. Grammatical Role & Syllabification Shifts:

"Interdépendantes" primarily functions as an adjective. If it were used as a noun (though rare), the syllabification would remain the same, and the stress pattern would not significantly shift.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: interdépendantes
• Part of Speech: Adjective (feminine plural)
• Definitions:
  • "Interdependent" - mutually dependent; depending on each other.
  • Translation: Interdependent
  • Synonyms: liées, connectées, imbriquées
  • Antonyms: indépendantes, autonomes
  • Examples: "Les économies mondiales sont devenues interdépendantes." (Global economies have become interdependent.) "Les deux pays ont des relations interdépendantes." (The two countries have interdependent relationships.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations & Regional Variations:

Regional variations in French pronunciation exist, particularly regarding the 'r' sound. In some regions, it may be more alveolar. However, these variations do not typically affect the syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• indépendante: /ɛ̃.de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃.tə/ - Syllables: in-dé-pan-dant-e. Similar structure, demonstrating the consistent application of vowel-centered syllabification.
• dépendantes: /de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃.təs/ - Syllables: dé-pan-dant-es. Shows how the root "dépend" consistently forms syllables.
• interconnectées: /ɛ̃.tɛʁ.kɔ̃.nɛk.te.e/ - Syllables: in-ter-con-nec-tées. Demonstrates the preservation of prefixes as single syllables.