Hyphenation ofsensibilisâmes

Linguistic Analysis of "sensibilisâmes" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "sensibilisâmes" is a conjugated form of the verb "sensibiliser" (to sensitize). It's the first-person plural past historic (or simple past) indicative. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels, liaison possibilities, and a final schwa that may be elided in rapid speech.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sens- (Latin sensus - sense, feeling). Function: contributes to the meaning of perception or awareness.
• Root: sensibil- (Latin sensibilis - capable of feeling). Function: core meaning related to sensation.
• Suffix: -isâmes (from Latin -izavimus). Function: indicates 1st person plural past historic indicative verb conjugation. This is a complex suffix combining the thematic vowel, past historic stem marker, and the personal ending.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group. In isolated words, it tends to fall on the last syllable. In this case, the stress falls on "-mes".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/sɑ̃.si.bi.li.zɑm/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable:

• sen- /sɑ̃/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable. The 'n' is part of the syllable because it follows a vowel and doesn't create a complex consonant cluster that would necessitate separation.
  • Exception: Nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ requires consideration.
• si- /si/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable.
• bi- /bi/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable.
• li- /li/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable.
• zâ- /zɑ/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable. The 'â' is a circumflex vowel, indicating a historical 's' that has been lost.
• mes /mɛ/: Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable. This syllable receives the primary stress.

7. Edge Case Review:

The presence of the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in "sen-" doesn't alter the syllabification, but it does affect pronunciation. The circumflex 'â' in "zâ-" indicates a historical 's' and influences vowel quality.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Sensibilisâmes" is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical function (it is the grammatical function).

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: sensibilisâmes
• Part of Speech: Verb (past historic, indicative, 1st person plural)
• Definitions:
  • "We sensitized" - Translation
  • "Nous avons rendu sensibles" - French definition
• Synonyms: rendîmes sensibles, éveillâmes la conscience
• Antonyms: insensibilisâmes, endurcîmes
• Examples: "Nous sensibilisâmes le public aux dangers du tabac." (We sensitized the public to the dangers of tobacco.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

The final "-mes" might be pronounced with a reduced schwa /mə/ in some contexts, but this doesn't change the syllabification. Regional accents might slightly alter vowel qualities, but the core syllable structure remains consistent.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• sensibilisation: sen-si-bi-li-sa-tion. Similar structure, with the addition of the noun suffix "-tion".
• sensibilité: sen-si-bi-li-té. Similar structure, with the noun suffix "-té".
• sensible: sen-si-ble. Shorter, but shares the "sen-si-bi-" sequence. The syllable division is consistent. The difference lies in the final consonant cluster, which is simpler and doesn't require further division.