Hyphenation ofbijna-faillissement

Dutch Word Analysis: bijna-faillissement

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word bijna-faillissement (almost-bankruptcy) is a compound noun in Dutch. Its pronunciation involves a blend of vowel qualities and consonant clusters typical of the language. The 'ij' is a diphthong, and the 'ss' represents a voiceless alveolar fricative.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid splitting diphthongs, the word divides as follows (see JSON output for the orthographic representation).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: bijna - Origin: Dutch. Function: Adverbial prefix meaning "almost" or "nearly".
• Root: faillisse- - Origin: French faillir (via Middle Dutch). Function: Root relating to failure, bankruptcy.
• Suffix: -ment - Origin: French. Function: Nominalizing suffix, turning a verb into a noun.

4. Stress Identification:

Dutch stress is generally on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable of a word. In this case, the primary stress falls on ment.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/bɛi̯.naː.fɑi̯.lis.ˈmɛnt/

6. Edge Case Review:

Compound words in Dutch are often treated as separate prosodic units, but for syllabification, we treat them as a single word. The 'ij' diphthong is a standard case, and the 'ss' is not a syllable break point.

7. Grammatical Role:

bijna-faillissement functions solely as a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical context within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The state of being close to bankruptcy.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (het)
• Translation: Near-bankruptcy, almost-bankruptcy
• Synonyms: dreigend faillissement (threatening bankruptcy), aan de rand van faillissement (on the edge of bankruptcy)
• Antonyms: financieel gezond (financially healthy), winstgevend (profitable)
• Examples:
  • "Het bedrijf verkeerde in een staat van bijna-faillissement." (The company was in a state of near-bankruptcy.)
  • "De bank weigerde een lening te verstrekken vanwege het bijna-faillissement van de onderneming." (The bank refused a loan due to the near-bankruptcy of the company.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• bekendmaking (announcement): be-kend-ma-king. Similar syllable structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.
• overeenkomst (agreement): o-ver-ee-en-komst. Similar stress pattern, but more syllables due to the longer root.
• verantwoordelijkheid (responsibility): ver-ant-woor-de-lijk-heid. More complex, but still follows the penultimate stress rule. The differences arise from the length and complexity of the morphemes.

10. Division Rules:

• Vowel-Based Division: Syllables are generally formed around vowel sounds.
• Diphthong Integrity: Diphthongs (like 'ij') are not split across syllables.
• Consonant Cluster Handling: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are easily separable by a vowel sound.
• Penultimate Stress: Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

11. Special Considerations:

The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration. While bijna and faillissement could be considered separate words, the hyphen indicates a close connection, and the syllabification treats it as a single unit.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in Dutch pronunciation are minimal for this word. However, the length of the vowel sounds might vary slightly depending on the dialect. This would not affect the syllabification.