Hyphenation ofsous-entendais

Analysis of "sous-entendais"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "sous-entendais" is a French verb in the imperfect indicative mood. It's pronounced roughly as /su.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.de.z‿e.de/ (with liaison possibilities). The pronunciation is key to understanding the syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of using only the original letters, is: sous-en-ten-dais

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under"). Function: Intensifier, modifying the verb's meaning.
• Root: entendre (Latin intendere meaning "to hear, to understand"). Function: Core meaning of the verb.
• Suffix: -ais (from Latin -ebam). Function: Imperfect indicative ending, first person singular.

4. Stress Identification:

The stress in French generally falls on the last syllable of the word or the last pronounced syllable if the final vowel is elided. In this case, the stress falls on "-dais".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.de.z‿e.de/

6. Edge Case Review:

Liaison is a crucial element. The 's' in 'sous' and the 't' in 'entendre' can link to the following vowel sound, creating a smoother pronunciation. This impacts the perceived syllable boundaries but doesn't change the orthographic syllable division.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Sous-entendre" is primarily a verb. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of the tense or mood.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To imply, to suggest, to hint at.
• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Indicative)
• Translation: To imply, to suggest
• Synonyms: suggérer, insinuer, laisser entendre
• Antonyms: exprimer, déclarer, affirmer
• Examples:
  • "Il sous-entendait qu'il était mécontent." (He was implying that he was unhappy.)
  • "Elle sous-entendait qu'elle avait raison." (She was suggesting that she was right.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "sous-entendre": sous-en-ten-dre
• "sous-estimer": sous-es-ti-mer
• "sous-marin": sous-ma-rin

The syllable division follows the same pattern: prefix-vowel-consonant cluster-vowel-suffix. The presence of consonant clusters influences the syllable boundaries, but the core principle of vowel-centered syllables remains consistent.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Vowel-Centered Syllables: French syllables are generally vowel-centered. Each syllable contains a vowel sound.
• Rule 2: Consonant Clusters: Consonant clusters are split according to pronounceability.
• Rule 3: Liaison: Liaison doesn't affect the written syllable division, but influences pronunciation.

11. Special Considerations:

The hyphenated structure of "sous-entendre" is a compound verb, which can sometimes lead to ambiguity in syllable division. However, the established pronunciation and the vowel-centered syllable rule guide the division.