Hyphenation ofquatre-vingt-huit

Analysis of "quatre-vingt-huit"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "quatre-vingt-huit" means "eighty-eight" in French. Its pronunciation involves nasal vowels and liaison possibilities, which influence syllabification. The 't' at the end of "vingt" is generally silent unless followed by a vowel.

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:

• quatre-: From Old French quatre, ultimately from Latin quattuor ("four"). Function: Numerical prefix.
• vingt-: From Old French vint, ultimately from Latin viginti ("twenty"). Function: Numerical base.
• huit: From Old French huit, ultimately from Latin octo ("eight"). Function: Numerical suffix.

4. Stress Identification:

The stress in French generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this case, it's on "huit".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/katʁ.vɛ̃.t‿ɥit/

6. Edge Case Review:

The liaison between "vingt" and "huit" is common and affects the pronunciation, but not the orthographic syllabification. The silent 't' in "vingt" is a typical feature of French phonology.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Quatre-vingt-huit" functions as a cardinal numeral (adjective). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Eighty-eight.
• Grammatical Category: Cardinal numeral (adjective).
• Synonyms: None directly applicable (it's a specific number).
• Antonyms: None directly applicable.
• Examples: "J'ai quatre-vingt-huit ans." (I am eighty-eight years old.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• soixante-dix-neuf: (si-xan-te-dix-neuf) - Similar structure with numerical components. Syllabification follows the same vowel-centric rules.
• trente-deux: (tren-te-de) - Another example of a compound number. The syllabification is consistent.
• cinquante-six: (san-kant-sis) - Again, a compound number, demonstrating the consistent application of syllabification rules.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-centric Syllabification: French syllables are generally built around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.
2. Avoid Breaking Consonant Clusters: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are complex or involve a schwa.
3. Final Consonant Rule: A single consonant at the end of a syllable usually remains with the preceding vowel.

Special Considerations:

• The historical evolution of the number system in French (using "quatre-vingt" for eighty) is an exception to regular decimal patterns.
• Liaison between "vingt" and "huit" is a phonological phenomenon that doesn't affect the orthographic syllabification.
• The silent 't' in "vingt" is a common feature of French pronunciation.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /katʁ.vɛ̃.t‿ɥit/, some regional variations might slightly alter the nasal vowel quality or the degree of liaison. These variations wouldn't fundamentally change the syllabification.