Hyphenation ofsous-traitance

Analysis of "sous-traitance"

1. Pronunciation: The word "sous-traitance" is pronounced /su.tʁɛ.tɑ̃s/ in standard French.

2. Syllable Division: The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets and avoiding stranded consonants, is: sous-trait-ance.

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sous- (Latin sub- meaning "under, below"). Function: adverbial prefix, indicating a subordinate or secondary relationship.
• Root: trait- (from traiter, Latin tractare meaning "to treat, to handle"). Function: verb stem, denoting action.
• Suffix: -ance (Latin -antia). Function: nominal suffix, forming an abstract noun denoting a state, quality, or action.

4. Stress Identification: The primary stress falls on the final syllable: /su.tʁɛ.tɑ̃s/. This is typical for French nouns.

5. Phonetic Transcription: /su.tʁɛ.tɑ̃s/

6. Edge Case Review: French syllabification generally avoids consonant clusters at the end of syllables. The "tr" cluster in "trait" is permissible as an onset. The nasal vowel /ɑ̃/ in "ance" is a common feature of French and doesn't pose a syllabification challenge.

7. Grammatical Role: "Sous-traitance" is primarily a noun. The syllabification remains consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The act of subcontracting; outsourcing work to another company.
• Translation: Subcontracting
• Grammatical Category: Noun (feminine)
• Synonyms: externalisation, sous-externalisation
• Antonyms: internalisation
• Examples:
  • "La sous-traitance est une pratique courante dans l'industrie automobile." (Subcontracting is a common practice in the automotive industry.)
  • "L'entreprise a recours à la sous-traitance pour réduire ses coûts." (The company uses subcontracting to reduce its costs.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• importance: i-m-por-tance /im.pɔʁ.tɑ̃s/ - Similar syllable structure with a final nasal vowel. Stress on the last syllable.
• différence: di-ffé-rence /di.fe.ʁɑ̃s/ - Similar syllable structure, final nasal vowel, stress on the last syllable.
• résistance: ré-sis-tance /ʁe.zi.stɑ̃s/ - Similar syllable structure, final nasal vowel, stress on the last syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the final syllable in these words, all ending in "-ance", highlights a common phonological feature of French nouns. The syllable division rules are applied consistently across these examples, prioritizing maximizing onsets.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Maximizing Onsets: French prefers to maximize the number of consonants in the onset of a syllable. This is applied in "trait" where "tr" forms the onset.
• Rule 2: Avoiding Stranded Consonants: Consonants are generally not left at the end of a syllable unless they are part of a permissible consonant cluster.
• Rule 3: Vowel-Based Division: Syllables are generally divided around vowels.

11. Special Considerations: The hyphenated nature of "sous-traitance" (due to the prefix) doesn't alter the core syllabification rules. The word is treated as a single phonological unit.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations: While the standard pronunciation is /su.tʁɛ.tɑ̃s/, some regional variations might exhibit slight differences in vowel quality, but these do not significantly impact the syllable division.

13. Syllable Analysis:

• sous: /su/ - Open syllable, vowel sound /u/.
• trait: /tʁɛ/ - Closed syllable, consonant cluster /tʁ/ as onset, vowel /ɛ/.
• ance: /tɑ̃s/ - Closed syllable, nasal vowel /ɑ̃/, consonant /s/.