Hyphenation ofprécautionneuse

Analysis of "précautionneuse"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "précautionneuse" is a French adjective meaning "cautious" (feminine singular). Its pronunciation involves nasal vowels, liaison possibilities, and a relatively complex syllable structure.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and respecting vowel clusters, is as follows (using only the original letters):

pré-cau-tion-neu-se

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: pré- (Latin prae- meaning "before," "in advance"). Function: Intensifier, indicating a quality existing beforehand.
• Root: caution (Latin cautio meaning "caution, foresight"). Function: Core meaning of carefulness.
• Suffix: -neuse (French adjectival suffix, feminine singular). Function: Forms the feminine singular adjective. This suffix is built from -ne (adjectival suffix) and -use (a suffix indicating a quality or characteristic).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: neu.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/pʁe.ko.sjɔ̃.nøz/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "tion" presents a common syllabification challenge. In French, consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable as long as they can form a valid onset. The "neu" syllable is also a potential area for variation, but the standard pronunciation dictates the division as shown.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Précautionneuse" is primarily an adjective. As an adjective, the stress pattern remains consistent. It can also function as a noun (a cautious person), but the syllabification and stress remain unchanged.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Cautious, careful, prudent.
• Part of Speech: Adjective (feminine singular)
• Translation: Cautious
• Synonyms: prudente, vigilante, circonspecte
• Antonyms: imprudente, négligente, téméraire
• Examples: "Une femme précautionneuse évite les risques." (A cautious woman avoids risks.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• actionnaire: a-ction-naire (similar vowel clusters, stress on penultimate syllable)
• situation: si-tu-a-tion (similar consonant clusters, stress on antepenultimate syllable)
• tradition: tra-di-tion (similar consonant clusters, stress on antepenultimate syllable)

The differences in stress placement are due to the varying number of syllables and the inherent rhythmic patterns of each word. "Précautionneuse" has a more complex structure, leading to the penultimate stress.

10. Syllable Analysis with Rules & Exceptions:

11. Division Rules Applied:

• Maximize Onsets: Prioritize creating syllables with consonant onsets whenever possible.
• Vowel-Consonant Division: Divide between vowels and consonants when no other rule applies.
• Consonant Cluster Maintenance: Keep consonant clusters together within a syllable if they form a valid onset.
• Penultimate Stress: French generally stresses the last syllable of a word group, but in longer words, the penultimate syllable is often stressed.

12. Special Considerations:

The word's length and the presence of the nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ contribute to its complexity. The "tion" cluster is a standard feature of French morphology and doesn't pose a significant challenge to syllabification.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in pronunciation might affect the degree of vowel reduction in the final syllable ("se"), but the core syllabification remains consistent.