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Hyphenation ofsubdéléguèrent

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

sub-dé-lé-guè-rent

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

/syb.de.le.ɡy.ʁɛ̃/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

00011

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable '-guè-' in the passé simple tense.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

sub/syb/

Open syllable, vowel nucleus 'u'

/de/

Open syllable, vowel nucleus 'é'

/le/

Open syllable, vowel nucleus 'é'

guè/ɡy/

Closed syllable, consonant cluster 'gu' treated as a single sound

rent/ʁɛ̃/

Closed syllable, consonant sound 'ʁ' at the end

Morphemic Breakdown

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

sub-(prefix)
+
délég-(root)
+
-èrent(suffix)

Prefix: sub-

Latin origin, meaning 'under' or 'from below', modifies verb meaning

Root: délég-

From 'déléguer' (to delegate), Latin 'delegare' (to entrust with power)

Suffix: -èrent

French passé simple ending, 3rd person plural

Meanings & Definitions
verb(grammatical role in sentences)

To subdelegate; to delegate a task that was already delegated.

Translation: Subdelegated

Examples:

"Les directeurs subdéléguèrent les pouvoirs à leurs équipes."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

déléguèrentdé-lé-guè-rent

Shares the root 'délég-' and the same tense ending, demonstrating consistent syllabification.

substituèrentsub-sti-tuè-rent

Similar prefix structure and tense ending, showing consistent application of syllabification rules.

considérèrentcon-si-dé-rè-rent

Demonstrates the handling of consonant clusters and vowel sounds in syllabification.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel Nucleus Rule

Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. Each vowel sound typically forms the nucleus of a syllable.

Consonant Cluster Rule

Consonant clusters can be part of a syllable, especially before a vowel. 'gu' is treated as a single sound.

Special Considerations

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

Silent 'e' letters affect syllabification but are not pronounced.

The 'gu' cluster is treated as a single consonant sound.

Stress pattern in passé simple can vary slightly, but generally falls on the penultimate syllable.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

The word 'subdéléguèrent' is divided into five syllables: sub-dé-lé-guè-rent. It consists of the prefix 'sub-', the root 'délég-', and the suffix '-èrent'. The stress falls on the penultimate syllable. Syllabification follows the vowel nucleus rule and handles consonant clusters like 'gu' as single sounds.

Detailed Analysis:

Analysis of "subdéléguèrent"

1. Pronunciation Considerations:

The word "subdéléguèrent" is a verb in the passé simple tense. Pronunciation involves liaison possibilities and vowel elisions depending on the following word in a sentence. The 't' at the end of 'subdéléguèrent' is silent.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and consonant clusters, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: sub- (Latin, meaning "under," "from below") - Prefixes in French often modify the meaning of the verb.
  • Root: délég- (from déléguer - to delegate, Latin delegare - to entrust with power) - The core meaning of the verb.
  • Suffix: -èrent (French, past historic/passé simple ending for the 3rd person plural) - Indicates tense and person.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress generally falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. However, in the passé simple, the stress is often on the penultimate syllable. In this case, the stress falls on "-guè-".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/syb.de.le.ɡy.ʁɛ̃/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

  • sub-: /syb/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel sounds. The 'u' creates a vowel nucleus.
  • dé-: /de/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sounds create syllable boundaries.
  • lé-: /le/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel sounds create syllable boundaries.
  • guè-: /ɡy/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant clusters can be part of a syllable, especially before a vowel. The 'gu' forms a single sound.
  • rent: /ʁɛ̃/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant sounds at the end of a syllable.

7. Edge Case Review:

The 'gu' cluster is a common feature in French and is treated as a single consonant sound for syllabification purposes. The 'e' in 'dé' and 'lé' are silent but affect the syllabification.

8. Grammatical Role:

"Subdéléguèrent" is exclusively a verb form (passé simple, 3rd person plural). Syllabification remains consistent regardless of the verb's conjugation.

9. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: To subdelegate; to delegate a task that was already delegated.
  • Translation: Subdelegated (past tense)
  • Grammatical Category: Verb (passé simple, 3rd person plural)
  • Synonyms: transférer une délégation, confier une sous-délégation
  • Antonyms: révoquer une délégation, reprendre une délégation
  • Examples: "Les directeurs subdéléguèrent les pouvoirs à leurs équipes." (The directors subdelegated the powers to their teams.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

The pronunciation is relatively standard. However, some regional accents might slightly alter the vowel sounds, but the syllabification remains the same.

11. Phonological Comparison:

  • déléguèrent: dé-lé-guè-rent. Similar structure, demonstrating the consistent syllabification of 'gu' and the stress pattern.
  • substituèrent: sub-sti-tuè-rent. Similar prefix structure and ending, showing the consistent application of syllabification rules.
  • considérèrent: con-si-dé-rè-rent. Demonstrates the handling of consonant clusters and vowel sounds in syllabification.
Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/11/2025

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