Hyphenation ofsuprasegmentaux

Linguistic Analysis of "suprasegmentaux" (French)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "suprasegmentaux" is a French noun meaning "suprasegmentals." It refers to features of speech that extend over more than one segment (phoneme), such as stress, intonation, and rhythm. Pronunciation involves a relatively complex sequence of sounds, including nasal vowels and liaison possibilities.

2. Syllable Division:

Following French syllabification rules, which prioritize open syllables (syllables ending in a vowel) whenever possible, and considering consonant clusters, the word divides as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: supra- (Latin origin, meaning "above," "over"). Morphological function: indicates a higher level or extension of the following concept.
• Root: segment- (Latin origin, from segmentum meaning "part," "section"). Morphological function: core meaning relating to parts or divisions.
• Suffix: -aux (French suffix, derived from Latin -alia). Morphological function: forms a plural noun, indicating multiple suprasegmental features.

4. Stress Identification:

In French, stress typically falls on the last syllable of a word or phrase. However, in longer words like this, there's a tendency for a secondary stress on the penultimate syllable. The primary stress is on the final syllable "-aux".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/sy.pʁa.se.ʒɑ̃.to/

6. Edge Case Review:

The sequence "segment" followed by "aux" presents a potential challenge. French generally avoids ending syllables with consonant clusters, but the "nt" cluster is permissible, especially when followed by a vowel.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Suprasegmentaux" is exclusively a noun. Its syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: Features of speech such as stress, intonation, and rhythm that extend over more than one segment (phoneme).
• Translation: Suprasegmentals
• Grammatical Category: Noun (masculine plural)
• Synonyms: (None readily available as it's a technical linguistic term)
• Antonyms: (Not applicable)
• Examples:
  • "L'étude des suprasegmentaux est essentielle en phonétique." (The study of suprasegmentals is essential in phonetics.)
  • "Les suprasegmentaux peuvent modifier le sens d'une phrase." (Suprasegmentals can modify the meaning of a sentence.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• "communication": com-mu-ni-ca-tion. Similar in length and complexity. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable in this case, a common pattern in French.
• "organisation": or-ga-ni-sa-tion. Similar syllable structure with a final "-tion" suffix. Stress on the final syllable.
• "international": in-ter-na-tio-nal. Demonstrates the tendency to break up consonant clusters with vowels to create open syllables. Stress on the final syllable.

The differences in syllable division are primarily due to the specific consonant clusters and vowel sequences within each word, but the overall principle of maximizing open syllables remains consistent.

Detailed Syllable Breakdown:

• su-: /sy/ - Open syllable. Rule: Initial syllable. Exception: None.
• pra-: /pʁa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel follows consonant. Exception: None.
• se-: /se/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel follows consonant. Exception: None.
• ʒɑ̃-: /ʒɑ̃/ - Nasal vowel creates a closed syllable. Rule: Nasal vowel terminates the syllable. Exception: None.
• to-: /to/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel follows consonant. Exception: None.
• aux: /o/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Final syllable, vowel followed by consonant cluster. Exception: None.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Initial Syllable Rule: The first syllable is always separated.
2. Vowel-Consonant Rule: Syllables are generally formed around vowels, with consonants preceding them.
3. Nasal Vowel Rule: Nasal vowels typically terminate a syllable.
4. Final Syllable Rule: The final syllable is determined by the remaining letters.

Special Considerations:

The "nt" cluster in "segmentaux" is a common occurrence in French and doesn't typically trigger syllable division. The word's length and the presence of the nasal vowel contribute to its complex syllabic structure.

Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

While the standard pronunciation is as transcribed, some regional variations might exist in the realization of the nasal vowel /ɑ̃/. However, these variations wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division.