Hyphenation ofsoixante-dix-neuf

Analysis of "soixante-dix-neuf"

1. Pronunciation: The word is pronounced /swa.sɑ̃t di nəf/. It's a compound number, "sixty-ten-nine".

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of breaking before consonants and respecting vowel clusters, is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• soixante: From Latin sexaginta ("sixty"). Root.
• dix: From Latin decem ("ten"). Root.
• neuf: From Latin novus ("new"). Root.

These are not prefixes or suffixes in the traditional sense, but rather numerical roots combined to form a complex number.

4. Stress Identification: In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. In compound numbers like this, the final element receives the primary stress.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /swa.sɑ̃t di nəf/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllable structure is relatively straightforward. The main consideration here is the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in "soixante". Nasal vowels form a single syllable.

7. Grammatical Role: "Soixante-dix-neuf" is exclusively a cardinal number. Its grammatical role doesn't affect syllabification.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Sixty-nine.
• Grammatical Category: Cardinal Number (numéral cardinal)
• Translation: Sixty-nine
• Synonyms: None (it's a specific number)
• Antonyms: None (it's a specific number)
• Examples:
  • "J'ai soixante-dix-neuf ans." (I am sixty-nine years old.)
  • "Il habite au numéro soixante-dix-neuf." (He lives at number sixty-nine.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• quatre-vingt-treize (93): qua-tre-vingt-trei-ze. Similar compound structure. Stress on the final syllable.
• cinquante-deux (52): cin-quan-te-deux. Similar compound structure. Stress on the final syllable.
• trente-et-un (31): tren-te-e-tun. Similar compound structure. Stress on the final syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the final element in these compound numbers demonstrates a regular phonological rule.

Syllable Analysis Details:

• soi: /swa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant. Exception: The 'oi' diphthong is treated as a single unit for syllabification.
• xan: /sɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Nasal vowel followed by consonant. Exception: Nasal vowels form a single syllable unit.
• te: /tə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel following consonant.
• dix: /di/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel following consonant.
• neuf: /nœf/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel-Consonant: Syllables are generally divided before consonants following vowels.
2. Nasal Vowel Rule: Nasal vowels (like /ɑ̃/) form a single syllable unit.
3. Diphthong Rule: Diphthongs (like 'oi') are treated as a single vowel sound within a syllable.

Special Considerations:

• The hyphenated structure reflects the compound nature of the number.
• French syllable structure is generally open (ending in a vowel), but closed syllables (ending in a consonant) are also common.
• Regional variations in pronunciation might slightly affect the perceived syllable boundaries, but the core syllabification remains consistent.

Short Analysis: "Soixante-dix-neuf" is a compound number derived from Latin roots. It's syllabified based on vowel-consonant boundaries and the rule for nasal vowels. Stress falls on the final syllable ("neuf"). The syllabification is consistent with other French compound numbers.