Hyphenation ofretrempassions

Linguistic Analysis of "retrempassions" (French)

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "retrempassions" is a French verb conjugation (3rd person plural past historic of retremper). It presents challenges due to the consonant clusters and the presence of multiple vowels. The pronunciation is approximately [ʁə.tʁɑ̃.pas.jɔ̃].

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: re- (Latin, prefix meaning "again," "back," or "thoroughly"). Morphological function: iterative/intensive.
• Root: tremp- (from Latin triumphare via Old French tremper meaning "to dip, to steep, to temper"). Morphological function: core meaning of immersion or hardening.
• Suffix: -passions (from passer meaning "to pass" + -ions the 3rd person plural past historic ending). Morphological function: tense and person marking.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group. However, within a word, stress is less prominent than in languages like English. In this case, the final syllable "-sions" receives a slight, but not strongly marked, stress.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ʁə.tʁɑ̃.pas.jɔ̃/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with rule explanations:

• re-: /ʁə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes a syllable nucleus. The 'r' is a consonant initiating the syllable. Exception: The 'r' is often a schwa-like sound in unstressed positions.
• trem-: /tʁɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they are complex. The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ forms the nucleus.
• pas-: /pas/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s).
• sions: /jɔ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant(s). The 's' is part of the suffix.

7. Edge Case Review:

The "tr" cluster is a common initial consonant cluster in French and doesn't pose a significant syllabification challenge. The nasal vowels /ɑ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ are typical of French and are treated as single vowel sounds forming the syllable nucleus.

8. Grammatical Role:

As a verb form, the syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: retrempassions
• Part of Speech: Verb (past historic, 3rd person plural)
• Definitions:
  • "They re-tempered" or "They re-hardened."
  • Translation: "They re-tempered"
• Synonyms: reforgèrent, rétrempèrent (more common forms)
• Antonyms: ramollirent (softened)
• Examples: "Les forgerons retrempassions l'acier pour le rendre plus résistant." (The blacksmiths re-tempered the steel to make it more resistant.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is /ʁə.tʁɑ̃.pas.jɔ̃/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or the realization of the 'r' sound. However, these variations generally do not affect the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• comparaison: /kɔ̃.pa.ʁɔ̃/ - Syllables: com-pa-ri-son. Similar structure with nasal vowels and consonant clusters.
• transmission: /tʁɑ̃s.mi.sjɔ̃/ - Syllables: trans-mis-sion. Similar structure with nasal vowels and consonant clusters.
• impression: /ɛ̃.pʁɛ.sjɔ̃/ - Syllables: im-pres-sion. Similar structure with nasal vowels and consonant clusters.

The syllable division in "retrempassions" is consistent with these words, demonstrating the typical French pattern of vowel-centered syllables and the preservation of consonant clusters. The presence of nasal vowels is a key characteristic shared by all these words.