Hyphenation ofsous-entendirent

Analysis of "sous-entendirent"

1. Pronunciation: The word "sous-entendirent" is pronounced /su.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.diʁ.tʁ/ in standard French. The liaison between "sous" and "entendirent" is common.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants, is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: adverbial prefix, modifying the verb.
• Root: entend- (from Old French entendre, ultimately from Latin intendere meaning "to stretch the mind, to pay attention"). Function: verb stem, meaning "to understand".
• Suffix: -irent (from Latin -erunt, 3rd person plural past historic ending). Function: inflectional suffix, indicating 3rd person plural, past historic tense.

4. Stress Identification: In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a phrase or breath group. In this case, the stress falls on "-dirent".

5. Phonetic Transcription: /su.z‿ɑ̃.tɑ̃.diʁ.tʁ/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

• sou-s /su/ - Rule: Open syllable. No consonant clusters to break it. Exception: Liaison with the following word.
• en-ten-dirent /tɑ̃.diʁ.tʁ/ - Rule: Maximizing onsets. Consonant clusters are broken after the vowel. The 'en' is a closed syllable. 'ten' is also a closed syllable. 'dirent' is a closed syllable.
• â-tɑ̃ /ɑ̃/ - Rule: Vowel sounds form their own syllable. Liaison creates a nasal vowel.

7. Edge Case Review: The liaison between "sous" and "entendirent" is a crucial element. Without it, the syllabification would be slightly different. The nasal vowels also require careful consideration.

8. Grammatical Role: "Sous-entendre" is a verb. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's conjugation.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To imply, to suggest without stating directly.
• Translation: To imply, to hint at.
• Grammatical Category: Verb (transitive)
• Synonyms: suggérer, insinuer, laisser entendre
• Antonyms: affirmer, déclarer, énoncer
• Examples:
  • "Il sous-entendait qu'il était mécontent." (He was implying that he was unhappy.)
  • "Elle a sous-entendu qu'elle démissionnerait." (She hinted that she would resign.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is as given above, some regional variations might exist in the realization of nasal vowels or the strength of the liaison. These variations would not significantly alter the syllabification.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• comprendre: /kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ/ - Syllables: com-pren-dre. Similar structure with a verb root and inflectional suffix.
• entendre: /ɑ̃.tɑ̃dʁ/ - Syllables: en-ten-dre. Similar to "sous-entendirent" in the root structure.
• demander: /də.mɑ̃.de/ - Syllables: de-man-der. Similar syllable structure with a verb root and inflectional suffix.

The differences in syllable division arise from the presence of the prefix "sous-" in "sous-entendirent" and the different consonant clusters in each word. The rule of maximizing onsets is consistently applied.