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Hyphenation ofsous-exploitaient

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

sou-ex-plo-i-taient

Phonetic Transcription:(how the word sounds using IPA symbols)

/su.z‿ɛk.splwa.tjɛ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00001

Stress falls on the final syllable '-aient', as is typical in French. The other syllables are unstressed.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

Syllables are the building blocks of words - each one typically contains a vowel sound

sou/su/

Open syllable, vowel-initial. Unstressed.

ex/ɛk/

Closed syllable, consonant-final. Unstressed.

plo/plwa/

Open syllable, vowel-initial. Unstressed.

i/i/

Open syllable, vowel-initial. Unstressed.

taient/tjɛ̃/

Closed syllable, consonant-final. Stressed.

Morphemic Breakdown

Morphemes are the smallest meaningful parts of words: prefixes (beginning), roots (core meaning), and suffixes (ending)

sous(prefix)
+
exploit(root)
+
aient(suffix)

Prefix: sous

From Latin 'sub-', meaning 'under, below'. Intensifier.

Root: exploit

From Latin 'explotare', meaning 'to use for profit, to work'. Core meaning of utilizing resources.

Suffix: aient

Imperfect indicative ending, 3rd person plural.

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To underutilize, to exploit insufficiently.

Translation: They were under-exploiting.

Examples:

"Ils sous-exploitaient les ressources naturelles de la région."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

sous-développersou-dé-ve-lop-per

Shares the 'sous-' prefix and similar syllabic structure.

sur-exploitersur-ex-plo-i-ter

Similar structure with a different prefix, demonstrating consistent root syllabification.

exploitentex-plo-i-tent

Shares the same root 'exploit-', showing consistent syllabification of this morpheme.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Initial Syllable

Syllables beginning with a vowel are separated (e.g., 'sou', 'ex', 'plo', 'i').

Consonant Cluster

Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they are complex or disrupt the flow of vowel sounds (e.g., 'taient').

Special Considerations

Important exceptions or unusual features in this word's pronunciation or structure

Liaison between 'sous' and 'exploitaient' is common and affects pronunciation.

The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/ in '-aient' is a typical feature of French verb endings.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'sous-exploitaient' is divided into five syllables: sou-ex-plo-i-taient. It consists of the prefix 'sous-', the root 'exploit-', and the suffix '-aient'. Stress falls on the final syllable '-aient'. Syllabification follows French rules prioritizing vowel sounds and maintaining consonant clusters.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "sous-exploitaient"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "sous-exploitaient" is a verb in the imperfect indicative tense, third-person plural. It's a compound word formed with a prefix and a verb stem. Pronunciation involves nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are complex, the division will be as follows (detailed in the JSON output).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: Intensifier, indicating a lesser degree of the action.
  • Root: exploit- (Latin explotare meaning "to use for profit, to work"). Function: Core meaning of utilizing resources.
  • Suffix: -aient (from the imperfect indicative ending -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient). Function: Indicates imperfect tense, third-person plural.

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su.z‿ɛk.splwa.tjɛ̃/

6. Edge Case Review:

The liaison between "sous" and "exploitaient" is common and affects the pronunciation. The nasal vowel /ɛ̃/ in "-aient" is a typical feature of French verb endings.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To underutilize, to exploit insufficiently.
  • Translation: They were under-exploiting.
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (Imperfect Indicative, 3rd person plural)
  • Synonyms: négligeaient, insuffisamment exploitaient
  • Antonyms: exploitaient pleinement, optimisaient
  • Examples: "Ils sous-exploitaient les ressources naturelles de la région." (They were under-exploiting the natural resources of the region.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • "sous-développer" (to underdevelop): sou-dé-ve-lop-per. Similar prefix, similar syllabic structure.
  • "sur-exploiter" (to overexploit): sur-ex-plo-i-ter. Similar structure with a different prefix.
  • "exploitent" (they exploit): ex-plo-i-tent. The root is the same, demonstrating consistent syllabification of "exploit-".

Syllable Breakdown Details:

  • sou-: Open syllable, ending in a vowel. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
  • -ex-: Closed syllable, containing a consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they are complex.
  • -plo-: Open syllable, ending in a vowel. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
  • -i-: Open syllable, ending in a vowel. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
  • -taient: Closed syllable, ending in a consonant. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally kept together unless they are complex.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/6/2025

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