Hyphenation ofsous-alimentations

Analysis of "sous-alimentations"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "sous-alimentations" is a French noun meaning "malnutrition" or "undernourishment." It's a complex word formed by a prefix, a root, and a suffix. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under") - adverbial prefix indicating deficiency or insufficiency.
• Root: aliment- (Latin alimentum meaning "nourishment") - relating to food or providing nourishment.
• Suffix: -ations (Latin -ationem) - nominalizing suffix, forming a noun from a verb.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a word or a group of words. In this case, the stress falls on "-tions".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su.za.li.mɑ̃.ta.sjɔ̃/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• sou-: /su/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No exceptions.
• sa-: /sa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No exceptions.
• li-: /li/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No exceptions.
• man-: /mɑ̃/ - Closed syllable with a nasal vowel. Rule: Consonants following a vowel typically begin a new syllable. Nasal vowels create a single syllable unit.
• ta-: /ta/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No exceptions.
• sjɔ̃-: /sjɔ̃/ - Closed syllable with a nasal vowel. Rule: Consonants following a vowel typically begin a new syllable. Nasal vowels create a single syllable unit.

7. Edge Case Review:

The presence of the nasal vowels /ɑ̃/ and /ɔ̃/ influences syllabification. French generally avoids syllable-final consonants except in specific cases, but the nasal vowels create a natural break before the following consonant.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Sous-alimentations" is primarily a noun. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of grammatical function.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A state of malnutrition or inadequate nourishment.
• Translation: Malnutrition, undernourishment.
• Part of Speech: Noun (feminine)
• Synonyms: maigreur (thinness), carence nutritionnelle (nutritional deficiency)
• Antonyms: bonne nutrition (good nutrition), suralimentation (overfeeding)
• Examples:
  • "Les sous-alimentations sont un problème majeur dans les pays en développement." (Malnutrition is a major problem in developing countries.)
  • "Elle souffrait de sous-alimentations depuis son enfance." (She had suffered from malnutrition since childhood.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Pronunciation is relatively standard. However, some regional variations might affect the degree of nasalization.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• alimentation: a-li-men-ta-tion /a.li.mɑ̃.ta.sjɔ̃/ - Similar syllable structure, stress on the final syllable.
• information: in-for-ma-tion /ɛ̃.fɔʁ.ma.sjɔ̃/ - Similar syllable structure, stress on the final syllable.
• communication: co-mu-ni-ca-tion /kɔ.my.ni.ka.sjɔ̃/ - Similar syllable structure, stress on the final syllable.

These words share the "-tion" suffix and exhibit the same stress pattern. The differences in initial syllables reflect the different root words.