Hyphenation ofsous-entendions

Analysis of "sous-entendions" (French)

1. Pronunciation & Initial Examination:

The word "sous-entendions" is the first-person plural imperfect subjunctive of the verb "sous-entendre" (to imply, to hint). It's pronounced with a relatively complex sequence of sounds, including nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: Intensifier, modifying the verb's meaning.
• Root: entend- (from Old French entendre, ultimately from Latin intendere meaning "to stretch the mind towards, to listen to, to understand"). Function: Core meaning of understanding or perceiving.
• Suffix: -ions (inflectional suffix indicating first-person plural imperfect subjunctive). Function: Grammatical marker for tense, mood, and person.

4. Stress Identification:

French generally has stress on the final syllable of a phrase or breath group. In this case, the stress falls on "-ions".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.dʁɔ̃/ (Note: the liaison between sous and entendions is represented by the '‿' symbol. The nasal vowels are represented with the appropriate diacritics.)

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with rule explanations:

• sou: /su/ - Open syllable. Rule: Every vowel sound constitutes the nucleus of a syllable. The 'ou' diphthong forms a single nucleus.
  • Exception: None.
• s-en: /z‿ɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Liaison occurs between the final consonant of "sous" and the initial vowel of "entendions". The 's' becomes /z/. The vowel /ɑ̃/ forms the nucleus.
  • Exception: Liaison is optional in careful speech, but common in fluent speech.
• ten: /tɑ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ forms the nucleus, and the 'n' closes the syllable.
  • Exception: None.
• dre: /dʁɔ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ forms the nucleus, and the 're' closes the syllable.
  • Exception: None.
• dons: /dɔ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The nasal vowel /ɔ̃/ forms the nucleus, and the 'ns' closes the syllable.
  • Exception: None.

7. Edge Case Review:

The liaison between "sous" and "entendions" is a key consideration. While optional, it's highly probable in standard pronunciation, influencing the syllabification. The nasal vowels also require careful transcription.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of the context.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To imply, to hint at, to suggest indirectly.
• Translation: To imply, to hint at.
• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Subjunctive, 1st person plural)
• Synonyms: suggérer, insinuer, laisser entendre
• Antonyms: affirmer, déclarer, énoncer
• Examples:
  • "Il sous-entendait qu'il était mécontent." (He was implying that he was unhappy.)
  • "Nous sous-entendions que la situation était grave." (We were implying that the situation was serious.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in liaison are possible. Some speakers might avoid the liaison, resulting in a clearer separation between "sous" and "entendions". This would affect the syllable count and pronunciation slightly.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• com-pren-dions: (we understood) - Similar syllable structure with a prefix and verb root. Stress on the final syllable.
• dé-ten-dions: (we were relaxing) - Similar syllable structure, prefix, verb root, and final inflection. Stress on the final syllable.
• re-ven-dions: (we were claiming) - Similar syllable structure, prefix, verb root, and final inflection. Stress on the final syllable.

The consistency in stress placement on the final syllable and the general pattern of prefix-root-suffix syllabification demonstrate the regularity of French phonology. The presence of nasal vowels and potential liaison are the main differentiating factors.