Hyphenation ofsous-secrétaire

Analysis of "sous-secrétaire"

1. Pronunciation: The word "sous-secrétaire" is pronounced approximately as /su.sɛ.kʁe.taʁ/.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of dividing before vowels and after consonants, is: sous-se-cré-taire.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Old French, from Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: Indicates a position or role subordinate to another.
• Root: secrétaire (Old French, from Latin secretarius meaning "secretary"). Function: Denotes the core meaning of the word – a person who handles correspondence and confidential matters.
• No Suffix: The word ends with the root.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /ta.ʁ/.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /su.sɛ.kʁe.taʁ/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllable structure generally avoids consonant clusters at the beginning or end of syllables. However, the /sɛ/ cluster is common and acceptable. The liaison between "sous" and "secrétaire" is possible in connected speech, but doesn't affect the syllabification.

7. Grammatical Role: "Sous-secrétaire" functions primarily as a noun (a deputy secretary, undersecretary). The syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical role.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A deputy secretary, an undersecretary. A high-ranking official in a government or organization who assists a secretary.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (masculine)
• Translation: Undersecretary, Deputy Secretary
• Synonyms: adjoint au secrétaire, secrétaire adjoint
• Antonyms: secrétaire (secretary)
• Examples: "Le sous-secrétaire a signé le décret." (The undersecretary signed the decree.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• secrétaire: se-cré-taire. Similar syllable structure, stress on the final syllable.
• administrateur: ad-mi-ni-stra-teur. More syllables, but shares the final -teur ending and stress pattern.
• directeur: di-rec-teur. Similar syllable structure, stress on the final syllable. The difference lies in the initial consonant clusters and vowel sounds.

10. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

• sous: /su/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Vowel followed by consonant.
• se: /sɛ/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• cré: /kʁe/ - Open syllable, unstressed. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel.
• taire: /taʁ/ - Closed syllable, stressed. Rule: Consonant followed by vowel, ending in a consonant.

11. Division Rules Applied:

• Rule 1: Open Syllable Rule: A syllable ending in a vowel is considered open.
• Rule 2: Consonant-Vowel Rule: When a consonant is followed by a vowel, a syllable break occurs before the vowel.
• Rule 3: Closed Syllable Rule: A syllable ending in a consonant is considered closed.

12. Special Considerations: The hyphen in "sous-secrétaire" is a morphological marker indicating the compound nature of the word, but it doesn't affect the syllabification process.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: Pronunciation is relatively standard across France. However, some regional accents might slightly alter vowel qualities. This would not affect the syllabification.

14. Short Analysis: "Sous-secrétaire" is a compound noun derived from Latin roots. It is divided into four syllables: sous-se-cré-taire, with stress on the final syllable. The syllabification follows standard French rules of dividing before vowels and after consonants.