Hyphenation ofpetites-bourgeoises

Linguistic Analysis of "petites-bourgeoises" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "petites-bourgeoises" is a feminine plural adjective or noun derived from "petit bourgeois" (small bourgeois). It describes women belonging to the lower or middle class, often with conservative values. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels, liaison possibilities, and a final schwa that may be elided in rapid speech.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: petit(e) - From Latin parvus meaning "small". Morphological function: denotes size or scale.
• Root: bourgeois - From Old French borgeis meaning "town dweller". Ultimately from burg (Old High German) meaning "fortress, town". Morphological function: denotes a social class.
• Suffix: -es - Feminine plural marker. Morphological function: indicates gender and number.

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/pə.tit.buʁ.ʒwa.zɛs/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• pe-: /pə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. No consonant clusters to break. Exception: The 'e' is often silent, but contributes to the syllable structure.
• -ti-: /ti/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel follows consonant. Exception: The 't' is followed by 't', but this is a permissible consonant cluster in French.
• -tes-: /tɛs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). Exception: The 'es' ending is a common feminine plural marker.
• -bour-: /buʁ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster 'br'. Exception: 'br' is a common and accepted consonant cluster.
• -geoi-: /ʒwa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel follows consonant. Exception: The 'oi' diphthong is a common feature of French phonology.
• -ses-: /zɛs/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant cluster 's'. Exception: The 's' is part of the feminine plural marker.

7. Edge Case Review:

The liaison between "petites" and "bourgeoises" is possible in connected speech, creating a smoother transition. However, for isolated word analysis, the syllable division remains as above.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word can function as an adjective or a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Women belonging to the lower or middle class, often characterized by conservative values and materialistic concerns.
• Translation: "Little bourgeois women"
• Grammatical Category: Adjective/Noun (feminine plural)
• Synonyms: citoyennes, femmes de la classe moyenne
• Antonyms: aristocrates, prolétaires
• Examples: "Les petites-bourgeoises rêvent souvent d'une vie confortable." (Little bourgeois women often dream of a comfortable life.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations might affect the pronunciation of the nasal vowels, but the syllable division remains consistent. Some speakers might slightly reduce the schwa in the final syllable, but it doesn't alter the syllabic structure.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• "petits-bourgeois": pe-tits-bour-geois - Similar syllable structure, differing only in the final syllable due to gender/number.
• "intéressantes": in-té-res-san-tes - Similar syllable structure with vowel-consonant alternation.
• "responsabilités": res-pon-sa-bi-li-tés - More complex consonant clusters, but still follows the vowel-centric syllabification rule.