Hyphenation ofinterdépartementaux

Linguistic Analysis of "interdépartementaux" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "interdépartementaux" is a French adjective meaning "interdepartmental." It's a relatively complex word, formed through compounding and affixation. Pronunciation involves liaison possibilities and careful attention to vowel elision.

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" or "among") - functions as a prepositional prefix.
• Root: département- (French, from département, meaning "department") - refers to an administrative division.
• Suffix: -aux (French, masculine plural adjective ending) - indicates masculine plural form.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. However, in longer words like this, there's a tendency for a secondary stress on the penultimate syllable. The primary stress is on the final syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ɛ̃.tɛʁ.de.paʁ.tə.mɑ̃.to/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "inter-" prefix can sometimes lead to elision or vowel changes depending on the following sound. The "département" root is relatively stable, but the "-aux" suffix is a common source of liaison.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Interdépartementaux" is primarily an adjective. Its syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical function (e.g., modifying a noun).

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Relating to or involving multiple departments (administrative divisions).
• Translation: Interdepartmental
• Grammatical Category: Adjective (masculine plural)
• Synonyms: Interrégional, pluri-départemental
• Antonyms: Unidéparemental, local
• Examples:
  • "Les réunions interdépartementales sont importantes." (Interdepartmental meetings are important.)
  • "Un projet interdépartementaux." (An interdepartmental project.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "international": in-ter-na-tio-nal. Similar prefix "inter-", but different root and suffix. Stress on the final syllable is consistent.
• "département": dé-par-te-ment. Shares the root "département". Syllable division follows similar vowel-centric rules.
• "nationaux": na-tio-naux. Shares the "-aux" suffix. Stress on the final syllable is consistent.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Exceptions/Special Cases (Word-Level):

• The "inter-" prefix is generally treated as a single syllable, even though it contains a vowel.
• The final "-aux" suffix is a common source of liaison, which can affect the perceived syllable boundaries in connected speech.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Centric Syllabification: French syllables generally revolve around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.
2. Consonant Cluster Handling: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they can be easily pronounced as separate syllables.
3. Avoidance of Isolated Consonants: French avoids leaving single consonants as syllable beginnings or endings.