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Hyphenation ofoutrepassassent

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

ou-tre-pas-sas-sent

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/utʁəpasa.sɑ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00001

Stress falls on the final syllable '-sent', as is typical in French.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

ou/u/

Open syllable, containing a high front rounded vowel.

tre/tʁə/

Open syllable, containing a uvular consonant and a schwa.

pas/pa/

Closed syllable, containing a plosive and a low back vowel.

sas/sa/

Closed syllable, containing a sibilant and a low back vowel.

sent/sɑ̃/

Closed syllable, containing a sibilant, a nasal vowel, and a plosive. Stressed syllable.

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

outre-(prefix)
+
pass-(root)
+
-assent(suffix)

Prefix: outre-

Old French, from Latin 'ultra' meaning 'beyond'. Intensifier.

Root: pass-

From Latin 'passus', past participle of 'pascere' meaning 'to step, to go'. Core meaning of crossing.

Suffix: -assent

Inflectional suffix indicating past historic tense, 3rd person plural. Derived from Latin.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To have exceeded, overstepped, or transgressed.

Translation: They exceeded/overstepped/transgressed.

Examples:

"Ils outrepassassent les limites fixées."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

dépassassentdé-pas-sas-sent

Similar structure with a prefix, the same verb root, and suffix.

intéressassentin-té-res-sas-sent

Longer word, but follows the same syllabification principles.

traversassenttra-ver-sas-sent

Similar structure, demonstrating consistent vowel-centered syllabification.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Centered Syllabification

Each syllable generally contains a vowel sound.

Consonant Cluster Handling

Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are complex.

Final Syllable Stress

Stress typically falls on the final syllable in French.

Geminate Consonant Treatment

Geminate consonants (like 'ss') are treated as a single consonant within a syllable.

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ influences the preceding consonant's pronunciation.

The 'r' sound is uvular, a characteristic of standard French.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'outrepassassent' is syllabified as ou-tre-pas-sas-sent, following French vowel-centered rules. It's the 3rd person plural past historic of 'outrepasser', meaning 'they exceeded'. Stress falls on the final syllable '-sent'. The morphemic breakdown reveals Latin origins in the prefix, root, and suffixes.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "outrepassassent" (French)

1. Pronunciation: The word "outrepassassent" is pronounced with a relatively complex sequence of sounds, typical of French verb conjugations. The 'r' is uvular, and vowel sounds are nasalized in certain syllables.

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 (see JSON output for the orthographic representation).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: outre- (Old French, from Latin ultra meaning "beyond"). Function: Intensifier, indicating exceeding a limit.
  • Root: pass- (from Latin passus, past participle of pascere meaning "to step, to go"). Function: Core meaning of crossing or exceeding.
  • Suffix: -ass- (inflectional suffix indicating past historic tense, 3rd person plural). Origin: Old French, derived from Latin.
  • Suffix: -ent (inflectional suffix indicating 3rd person plural of the past historic). Origin: Latin.

4. Stress Identification: French generally has stress on the final syllable of a phrase or word. In this case, the stress falls on "-sent".

5. Phonetic Transcription: /utʁəpasa.sɑ̃/

6. Edge Case Review: The sequence "ss" presents a potential edge case. However, in French, geminate consonants are generally treated as a single consonant sound within a syllable. The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ also requires careful consideration.

7. Grammatical Role: "Outrepassassent" is the 3rd person plural past historic (passé simple) form of the verb "outrepasser" (to exceed, to overstep). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's tense.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To have exceeded, overstepped, or transgressed.
  • Translation: They exceeded/overstepped/transgressed.
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (passé simple, 3rd person plural)
  • Synonyms: dépassèrent, excédèrent
  • Antonyms: respectèrent, observèrent
  • Examples: "Ils outrepassassent les limites fixées." (They exceeded the set limits.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "dépassassent": dé-pas-sas-sent. Similar structure, with a prefix and the same verb root and suffix. Syllabification follows the same rules.
  • "intéressassent": in-té-res-sas-sent. Longer word, but the core syllabification principles remain consistent. The 'té' syllable is a common pattern in French.
  • "traversassent": tra-ver-sas-sent. Similar to "outrepassassent" in structure, demonstrating the consistent application of vowel-centered syllabification.

10. Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Vowel-Centered Syllabification: Each syllable generally contains a vowel sound.
  • Rule 2: Consonant Cluster Handling: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are complex and difficult to pronounce.
  • Rule 3: Final Syllable Stress: Stress typically falls on the final syllable.
  • Rule 4: Geminate Consonant Treatment: Geminate consonants (like "ss") are treated as a single consonant within a syllable.

11. Special Considerations: The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in the final syllable influences the preceding consonant's pronunciation and syllabic structure. The 'r' sound is uvular, a characteristic of standard French.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is as described, some regional variations might exist in vowel quality or the degree of 'r' uvularization. These variations would not significantly alter the syllabification.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/9/2025

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What is hyphenation

Hyphenation is the process of splitting words into syllables and inserting hyphens between them to facilitate the reading of a text. It is also used to divide words when the word cannot fit on a line.

This technique is particularly helpful in fully justified texts, where it aids in creating a uniform edge along both sides of a paragraph. Hyphenation rules vary among languages and even among different publications within the same language. It's a critical component in typesetting, significantly influencing the aesthetics and readability of printed and digital media. For instance, in compound adjectives like 'long-term solution', hyphens clarify relationships between words, preventing misinterpretation. Moreover, hyphenation can alter meanings: 'recreation' differs from 're-creation'.

With the advent of digital text, hyphenation algorithms have become more sophisticated, though still imperfect, sometimes requiring manual adjustment to ensure accuracy and coherence in text layout. Understanding and correctly applying hyphenation rules is therefore not only a matter of linguistic accuracy but also a key aspect of effective visual communication.