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Hyphenation ofrebrousse-poil

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

re-brousse-poil

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

/ʁə.bʁus.pwal/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

001

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

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

re/ʁə/

Open syllable, vowel followed by consonant.

brousse/bʁus/

Syllable beginning with a consonant cluster (br).

poil/pwal/

Open syllable, consonant followed by vowel and consonant.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

re-(prefix)
+
brousse(root)
+
-poil(suffix)

Prefix: re-

Latin origin, indicates repetition or reversal.

Root: brousse

Old French origin, related to 'brush' or 'scrub'.

Suffix: -poil

Old French origin, meaning 'hair'.

Meanings & Definitions
adjective(grammatical role in sentences)

That which makes one's hair stand on end; startling, shocking, frightening.

Translation: Hair-raising, thrilling, shocking

Examples:

"Une histoire rebrousse-poil."

"Ce film est vraiment rebrousse-poil!"

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

chou-fleurchou-fleur

Similar structure with a consonant cluster at the beginning of a syllable.

porte-monnaieporte-monnaie

Compound word with multiple syllables, similar to 'rebrousse-poil'.

sous-vêtementsous-vêtement

Another compound word with a hyphen, demonstrating consistent syllabification rules.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Open Syllable

Vowel followed by a consonant or no consonant at the end of the syllable.

Consonant Cluster

French allows consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables, leading to division after the cluster.

Special Considerations

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

The compound nature of the word and its historical evolution.

The potential for a reduced schwa in the first syllable in some pronunciations.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'rebrousse-poil' is divided into three syllables: re-brousse-poil. It's a compound adjective with Latin and Old French roots. Stress falls on the final syllable. Syllabification follows standard French rules for open syllables and consonant clusters.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "rebrousse-poil"

1. Pronunciation: The word "rebrousse-poil" is pronounced approximately as /ʁə.bʁus.pwal/.

2. Syllable Division: re-brousse-poil

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: re- (Latin, meaning "again," "back," or "thoroughly"). Morphological function: Prefixes the root to indicate repetition or reversal.
  • Root: brousse (Old French, from brosse meaning "brush" or "scrub"). Morphological function: The core meaning relating to bristling or roughness.
  • Suffix: -poil (Old French, from poil meaning "hair"). Morphological function: Indicates the hair-raising aspect of the expression.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /ʁə.bʁus.pwal/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /ʁə.bʁus.pwal/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

  • re-: /ʁə/ - Syllable division rule: Open syllable. Vowel followed by a consonant. No consonant clusters to prevent division. Exception: The 'r' is a schwa-like sound, often reduced.
  • brousse-: /bʁus/ - Syllable division rule: Consonant cluster (br) followed by a vowel. French allows consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables.
  • poil: /pwal/ - Syllable division rule: Open syllable. Consonant followed by a vowel and a consonant.

7. Edge Case Review: The compound nature of the word and the historical evolution of its components present a slight edge case. The hyphen indicates a historical compound, but modern pronunciation treats it as a single word.

8. Grammatical Role: "Rebrousse-poil" functions primarily as an adjective. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: (adj.) That which makes one's hair stand on end; startling, shocking, frightening.
  • Translation: Hair-raising, thrilling, shocking.
  • Grammatical Category: Adjective
  • Synonyms: effrayant, stupéfiant, saisissant
  • Antonyms: rassurant, apaisant
  • Examples: "Une histoire rebrousse-poil." (A hair-raising story.) "Ce film est vraiment rebrousse-poil!" (This film is really thrilling!)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /ʁə.bʁus.pwal/, some regional variations might exhibit a slightly more pronounced schwa in the first syllable. This doesn't significantly alter the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

  • chou-fleur: /ʃu.flœʁ/ - Syllable division: chou-fleur. Similar structure with a consonant cluster at the beginning of the second syllable.
  • porte-monnaie: /pɔʁt.mɔ.ne/ - Syllable division: porte-monnaie. Compound word with multiple syllables, similar to "rebrousse-poil".
  • sous-vêtement: /su.ve.tə.mɑ̃/ - Syllable division: sous-vêtement. Another compound word with a hyphen, demonstrating consistent syllabification rules.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/13/2025

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