Hyphenation ofsous-tangentes

Analysis of "sous-tangentes" (French)

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "sous-tangentes" presents challenges due to the liaison possibilities and the presence of the hyphenated prefix "sous-". The 's' at the end of "sous" will likely be pronounced if followed by a vowel sound in connected speech. The 'g' in "tangentes" is a soft 'g' sound, as is typical in French before 'e' and 'i'.

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.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Old French, from Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Morphological function: adverbial/prepositional prefix indicating position or degree.
• Root: tangent- (from Latin tangens, present participle of tangere "to touch"). Morphological function: relating to a line touching a curve at a single point.
• Suffix: -es (French plural marker, from Latin). Morphological function: indicates plural number.

4. Stress Identification:

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

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su tãʒɑ̃t̪/ (Note: the 'n' in 'tangentes' is nasalized, and the 't' is often palatalized before 'e' or 'i' in rapid speech, represented here with a dental symbol to indicate potential articulation.)

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

• sou-: /su/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. The 'ou' diphthong forms the nucleus. No exceptions.
• -s-: /s/ - Syllable formed by the consonant 's' following the prefix. Rule: Consonants can form syllables when they are between vowels. Exception: This syllable is only pronounced in liaison.
• tan-: /tɑ̃/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel 'a' forms the nucleus. No exceptions.
• -gentes: /ʒɑ̃t̪/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The nasal vowel 'an' forms the nucleus, and the 't' closes the syllable. Exception: The 'g' is pronounced as a soft 'g' /ʒ/.
• -tes: /t̪/ - Closed syllable. Rule: The vowel 'e' forms the nucleus, and the 't' closes the syllable. The final 's' is silent but affects the pronunciation of the preceding vowel.

7. Edge Case Review:

The hyphenated prefix "sous-" is a common feature in French. The pronunciation of the 's' in "sous" is dependent on the following sound. The nasal vowels in "tangentes" are typical of French and require careful transcription.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Sous-tangentes" is a feminine plural noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical role.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Lines that are tangent to a curve; the plural of "sous-tangente".
• Translation: Subtangents
• Grammatical Category: Noun (feminine plural)
• Synonyms: None readily available without specific mathematical context.
• Antonyms: None readily available.
• Examples: "Les sous-tangentes de cette courbe sont difficiles à calculer." (The subtangents of this curve are difficult to calculate.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in French pronunciation are minimal regarding syllabification. However, the degree of palatalization of the 't' before 'e' can vary.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• "sous-vêtements" (undergarments): sou-s-vê-te-ments. Similar prefix "sous-", similar syllable structure.
• "contingences" (contingencies): con-tin-gen-ces. Similar ending "-ences", similar syllable structure.
• "tangente" (tangent): tan-gente. The root "tangent" is identical, demonstrating consistent syllabification.