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Hyphenation ofquatre-vingtième

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

quatre-ving-tie-me

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

/katʁə vɛ̃tjem/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

0001

Primary stress falls on the final syllable ('me').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

quatre/katʁə/

Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

ving/vɛ̃/

Nasal vowel syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

tie/tjem/

Closed syllable, consonant cluster followed by vowel.

me/m/

Closed syllable, consonant followed by vowel.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

quatre-(prefix)
+
vingt-(root)
+
-ième(suffix)

Prefix: quatre-

From Old French 'quatre' (four), Latin 'quattuor'. Numerical quantifier.

Root: vingt-

From Old French 'vingt' (twenty), Latin 'viginti'. Base of the number.

Suffix: -ième

From Old French 'ieme', indicating ordinality ('-th'), Latin '-esimus'.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

Twentieth

Translation: Twentieth

Examples:

"Le vingt-quatrième jour du mois."

"Il est arrivé en vingt-quatrième position."

Synonyms: vingtième
Antonyms: premier, deuxième
Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

vingt-et-unvin-et-un

Shares the 'vingt' root and follows similar syllabification rules.

trente-deuxièmetren-te-deu-ziè-me

Complex number with consistent application of syllabification rules.

cinquante-troisièmecin-quan-te-troi-siè-me

Similar structure to 'trente-deuxième', demonstrating rule consistency.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Open Syllables

Syllables ending in a vowel are generally open.

Consonant Clusters

Consonant clusters are generally broken before vowels.

Vowel Groupings

Vowel groupings (diphthongs, triphthongs) are kept together in a single syllable.

Special Considerations

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

Silent 'e' at the end of 'vingtième' affects preceding vowel nasalization but not syllabification.

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation may exist.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'quatre-vingtième' is divided into four syllables: quatre-ving-tie-me. It's a complex ordinal number derived from Latin roots. Stress falls on the final syllable. Syllabification follows standard French rules of open/closed syllables and consonant cluster breaking.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "quatre-vingtième" (French)

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced approximately as /katʁə vɛ̃tjem/. It's a complex number, representing "twentieth" in the context of "twenty" (vingt) plus four (quatre).

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of breaking before consonant clusters and respecting vowel groupings, is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • quatre-: Prefix, from Old French quatre meaning "four" (Latin quattuor). Functions as a numerical quantifier.
  • vingt-: Root, from Old French vingt meaning "twenty" (Latin viginti). Forms the base of the number.
  • -ième: Suffix, from Old French ieme, indicating ordinality ("-th"). (Latin -esimus).

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /katʁə vɛ̃tjem/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /katʁə vɛ̃tjem/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllabification is generally quite regular, but vowel elision and liaison can affect perceived syllable boundaries. In this case, the 'e' at the end of 'vingtième' is often silent, but it influences the preceding vowel's pronunciation.

7. Grammatical Role: This word is an adjective or noun, functioning as an ordinal number. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Twentieth.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective, Noun
  • Translation: Twentieth
  • Synonyms: vingtième (same meaning)
  • Antonyms: premier, deuxième, etc. (first, second, etc.)
  • Examples: "Le vingt-quatrième jour du mois." (The twenty-fourth day of the month.) "Il est arrivé en vingt-quatrième position." (He arrived in twentieth position.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • vingt-et-un: (twenty-one) - vin-et-un. Similar structure with 'vingt' as the root. Syllabification follows the same pattern.
  • trente-deuxième: (thirty-second) - tren-te-deu-ziè-me. Longer, but demonstrates the consistent application of syllabification rules to complex numbers.
  • cinquante-troisième: (fifty-third) - cin-quan-te-troi-siè-me. Similar to trente-deuxième, showing the consistent application of rules.

10. Syllable Analysis:

  • quatre: /katʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: The 'r' is a schwa-inducing consonant, making the vowel less prominent.
  • ving: /vɛ̃/ - Nasal vowel syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant.
  • tie: /tjem/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster followed by vowel.
  • me: /m/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.

11. Division Rules:

  • Rule 1: Open Syllables: Syllables ending in a vowel are generally open.
  • Rule 2: Consonant Clusters: Consonant clusters are generally broken before vowels.
  • Rule 3: Vowel Groupings: Vowel groupings (diphthongs, triphthongs) are kept together in a single syllable.

12. Special Considerations: The pronunciation of the final 'e' in 'vingtième' is often silent, but it affects the preceding vowel's nasalization. This doesn't change the syllabification, but it's a crucial phonetic detail.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /katʁə vɛ̃tjem/, some regional variations might slightly alter vowel qualities or the degree of elision. These variations wouldn't fundamentally change the syllable division.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/7/2025

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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.