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Hyphenation ofrefouillassions

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

re-fou-ill-as-sions

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

/ʁə.fu.ja.sjɔ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00001

Stress falls on the final syllable '-sions', as is typical in French.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

re/ʁə/

Open syllable, weak vowel.

fou/fu/

Open syllable.

ill/ja/

Closed syllable.

as/sjɔ̃/

Closed syllable, nasal vowel.

sions/sjɔ̃/

Closed syllable, nasal vowel.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

re-(prefix)
+
fouill-(root)
+
-assions(suffix)

Prefix: re-

Latin origin, indicates repetition or intensification.

Root: fouill-

Old French from Latin *fodiāre*, meaning to dig.

Suffix: -assions

Combination of inchoative/iterative suffix -ass- and first-person plural imperfect subjunctive ending -ions.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

First-person plural imperfect subjunctive of *refouiller*.

Translation: We were rummaging/digging/searching.

Examples:

"Nous refouillassions dans le grenier à la recherche de souvenirs."

Antonyms: négliger, ignorer
Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

fouillaitfou-ill-ait

Shares the root 'fouill-' and similar verb structure.

refoulaitre-fou-lait

Shares the prefix 're-' and root 'fouill-' with a different vowel.

remplissionsrem-pli-ssions

Shares the suffix '-ssions' and similar verb structure.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Centric Rule

Syllables are built around vowel sounds, with each vowel generally forming the nucleus of a syllable.

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters are generally not broken unless they represent distinct phonemes.

Special Considerations

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

The 'ou' digraph is treated as a single vowel sound.

The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ in 'sions' creates a distinct syllable.

The imperfect subjunctive ending '-ions' consistently forms a syllable.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'refouillassions' is divided into five syllables based on vowel sounds, following the vowel-centric rule of French syllabification. The prefix 're-', root 'fouill-', and suffix '-assions' are identifiable. Stress falls on the final syllable '-sions'.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "refouillassions" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "refouillassions" is a conjugated form of the verb "refouiller" (to rummage, to dig up). It's the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels, liaison possibilities, and a complex verb conjugation.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: re- (Latin) - Indicates repetition or intensification.
  • Root: fouill- (Old French fouiller, from Latin fodiāre - to dig) - The core meaning of digging or searching.
  • Suffix: -ass- (French) - Inchoative/Iterative suffix, indicating beginning of action or repeated action.
  • Suffix: -ions (French) - First-person plural imperfect subjunctive ending.

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ʁə.fu.ja.sjɔ̃/

6. Edge Case Review:

The "fouill-" portion presents a slight challenge due to the "ou" digraph. However, it's treated as a single vowel sound in this context. The "ss" is not broken as it represents a single phoneme /s/.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: First-person plural imperfect subjunctive of refouiller - to rummage, to dig up, to search thoroughly.
  • Translation: We were rummaging/digging/searching.
  • Part of Speech: Verb (conjugated form)
  • Synonyms: fouiller, chercher, sonder
  • Antonyms: négliger, ignorer
  • Examples: "Nous refouillassions dans le grenier à la recherche de souvenirs." (We were rummaging in the attic in search of memories.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • fouillait: /fu.jɛ/ - Syllable division: fou-ill-ait. Similar structure, but different verb ending.
  • refoulait: /ʁə.fu.lɛ/ - Syllable division: re-fou-lait. Similar prefix and root, different vowel in the root.
  • remplissions: /ʁɑ̃.pli.sjɔ̃/ - Syllable division: rem-pli-ssions. Similar suffix, different root and vowel sounds.

The consistency in syllable division across these words demonstrates the application of the vowel-centric rule in French. The presence of consonant clusters doesn't lead to syllable breaks unless the consonants are pronounced separately.

Detailed Syllable Analysis:

Syllable IPA Transcription Description Rule Applied Exceptions/Special Cases
re /ʁə/ Open syllable, weak vowel Vowel-centric rule: Syllables are built around vowel sounds.
fou /fu/ Open syllable Vowel-centric rule. "ou" digraph treated as a single vowel sound.
ill /ja/ Closed syllable Vowel-centric rule. Consonant cluster "ll" remains intact.
as /sjɔ̃/ Closed syllable, nasal vowel Vowel-centric rule. Nasal vowel creates a distinct syllable.
sions /sjɔ̃/ Closed syllable, nasal vowel Vowel-centric rule. The "s" is part of the nasal vowel sound.

Division Rules Applied:

  • Vowel-Centric Rule: French syllables are primarily built around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable.
  • Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally not broken unless they represent distinct phonemes.
  • Final Syllable Stress: French typically stresses the final syllable of a phrase or breath group.

Special Considerations:

  • The imperfect subjunctive ending "-ions" is a common feature in French verb conjugation and consistently forms a syllable on its own.
  • The "ou" digraph is treated as a single vowel sound, simplifying the syllabification.
  • The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ in "sions" creates a distinct syllable.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /ʁə.fu.ja.sjɔ̃/, some regional variations might exist in the pronunciation of the "r" sound. However, these variations do not significantly affect the syllable division.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/8/2025

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