Hyphenation ofsauts-de-mouton

Linguistic Analysis of "sauts-de-mouton" (French)

1. Pronunciation: The word "sauts-de-mouton" is pronounced approximately as /so də mu.tɔ̃/. It's a compound noun referring to a specific gymnastic exercise.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants, is as follows:

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• sauts: From the verb sauter (to jump), Latin saltare. This is the noun form, indicating jumps or leaps.
• de: Preposition, Latin de. Indicates "of" or "from".
• mouton: Noun meaning "sheep", Latin montem.

4. Stress Identification: In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In this compound noun, the stress falls on mouton.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /so də mu.tɔ̃/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllabification generally avoids consonant clusters at the beginning of syllables. However, in compound words like this, the rules are applied to each component separately before considering the compound as a whole. The liaison between "de" and "mouton" is common in spoken French, but doesn't affect the syllabification.

7. Grammatical Role: "sauts-de-mouton" functions exclusively as a noun. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A gymnastic exercise where the performer leaps over a "sheep" – a padded, arched apparatus resembling a sheep's back.
• Translation: Vaulting horse (though not a direct equivalent, it conveys the idea)
• Grammatical Category: Noun (masculine plural)
• Synonyms: None readily available, as it's a specific exercise.
• Antonyms: None applicable.
• Examples:
  • "Elle a réussi un magnifique saut-de-mouton." (She performed a magnificent vaulting horse exercise.)
  • "Les gymnastes s'entraînent aux sauts-de-mouton." (The gymnasts are training on the vaulting horse.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• pomme-de-terre: (potato) - Syllabification: pom-me-de-ter-re. Similar compound structure, stress on the final element.
• porte-monnaie: (wallet) - Syllabification: por-te-mon-na-ie. Similar compound structure, stress on the final element.
• chef-d'œuvre: (masterpiece) - Syllabification: chef-d'œu-vre. Similar compound structure, stress on the final element.

The consistency in stress placement on the final element in these compound nouns demonstrates a common phonological pattern in French.

10. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

• sau: /so/ - Open syllable. Rule: Maximizing onsets. No exceptions.
• ts: /t/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant ending. Exception: The 'ts' cluster is permissible as an onset.
• de: /də/ - Open syllable. Rule: Maximizing onsets. No exceptions.
• mou: /mu/ - Open syllable. Rule: Maximizing onsets. No exceptions.
• ton: /tɔ̃/ - Nasal syllable, closed. Rule: Nasal vowel followed by consonant. No exceptions.

11. Division Rules Applied:

• Maximize Onsets: Prioritize creating syllables with consonant-vowel (CV) structures.
• Avoid Stranded Consonants: Avoid leaving consonants without a following vowel.
• Compound Word Syllabification: Syllabify each component of the compound word separately before considering the whole.

12. Special Considerations: The 'ts' cluster in "sauts" is a common initial consonant cluster in French and doesn't pose a syllabification challenge. The liaison between "de" and "mouton" doesn't affect the written syllabification.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /so də mu.tɔ̃/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality or nasalization, but these wouldn't alter the syllabification.

14. Short Analysis: "sauts-de-mouton" is a French compound noun meaning a gymnastic exercise. It's syllabified as sau-ts-de-mou-ton, with stress on the final syllable ("mouton"). The syllabification follows rules maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants, applied to each component of the compound.