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Hyphenation ofkennismakingsavonden

Syllable Division & Pronunciation

Syllable Division:

ken-nis-ma-kings-a-von-den

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

/ˈkɛnɪsmɑkɪŋzɑvɔndən/

Stress Pattern:(which syllables are emphasized when speaking)

100100

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable ('makings').

Detailed Syllable Breakdown

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

ken/kɛn/

Open syllable, vowel onset.

nis/nɪs/

Closed syllable, consonant onset.

ma/ma/

Open syllable, consonant onset.

kings/kɪŋz/

Closed syllable, consonant cluster onset.

a/ɑ/

Open syllable, vowel onset.

von/vɔn/

Closed syllable, consonant onset.

den/dən/

Closed syllable, consonant onset.

Morphemic Breakdown

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

ken-(prefix)
+
maak-(root)
+
-en(suffix)

Prefix: ken-

West Germanic origin, related to 'know', indicates knowledge or acquaintance.

Root: maak-

West Germanic origin, related to 'make', forms the core of the action.

Suffix: -en

Dutch plural suffix, indicates plural form.

Meanings & Definitions
noun(grammatical role in sentences)

Events or evenings organized for people to meet and get to know each other.

Translation: Acquaintance evenings, get-to-know-you events.

Examples:

"De vereniging organiseert regelmatig kennismakingsavonden."

"We hebben veel nieuwe mensen ontmoet op de kennismakingsavonden."

Similar Words Comparison

Words with similar syllable patterns or pronunciation features

verjaardagsfeestjever-jaar-daags-fees-tje

Similar structure with compounding and stress on the penultimate syllable.

werkzaamhedenwerk-zaam-he-den

Similar consonant clusters and vowel qualities.

voetballessenvoet-bal-les-sen

Demonstrates the typical Dutch pattern of compounding and stress.

Syllable Division Rules

The linguistic principles used to determine where syllables begin and end

Vowel-Initial Syllables

Syllables starting with a vowel are separated.

Consonant Cluster Maintenance

Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they violate sonority principles.

Penultimate Stress

Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

Special Considerations

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

The 'sm' cluster in 'makings' is treated as a single onset.

The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morphemic boundaries.

Analysis Summary

Summary:

“kennismakingsavonden” is a Dutch compound noun meaning “acquaintance evenings.” It's syllabified as ken-nis-ma-kings-a-von-den, with stress on “-makings-”. The word is formed from multiple morphemes indicating knowledge, making, evening, and plurality. Syllabification follows Dutch rules prioritizing vowel sounds and maintaining consonant clusters.

Detailed Analysis:

Linguistic Analysis of "kennismakingsavonden" (Dutch)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "kennismakingsavonden" is a compound noun in Dutch, meaning "acquaintance evenings" or "events for getting to know each other." It's a relatively long word, typical of Dutch, formed by concatenating several morphemes. Pronunciation involves a mix of vowel qualities and consonant clusters common in Dutch.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and avoid splitting diphthongs or consonant clusters where possible, the word breaks down as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

  • Prefix: ken- (West Germanic origin, related to "know") - Function: Indicates knowledge or acquaintance.
  • Root: maak- (West Germanic origin, related to "make") - Function: Forms the core of the action of making acquaintance.
  • Suffix: -nis- (Dutch suffix, derived from Middle Dutch) - Function: Nominalizing suffix, turning a verb into a noun.
  • Suffix: -makings- (Dutch suffix, derived from maken + -ing) - Function: Forms a gerund-like noun, indicating the process of making.
  • Suffix: -avond- (Dutch noun root, meaning "evening") - Function: Noun denoting time of day.
  • Suffix: -en (Dutch plural suffix) - Function: Indicates plural form.

4. Stress Identification:

Dutch stress is generally on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable. In this case, the primary stress falls on "-makings-".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈkɛnɪsmɑkɪŋzɑvɔndən/

6. Edge Case Review:

Dutch syllabification can be complex with consonant clusters. The "sm" cluster is treated as a single onset. The "vond" part is a common Dutch morpheme and is syllabified as expected.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily a noun. Syllabification doesn't significantly shift based on grammatical role, as Dutch stress remains relatively fixed.

8. Definition & Semantics:

  • Definition: Events or evenings organized for people to meet and get to know each other.
  • Grammatical Category: Noun (plural)
  • Translation: Acquaintance evenings, get-to-know-you events.
  • Synonyms: kennismakingsfeesten (acquaintance parties), ontmoetingsavonden (meeting evenings)
  • Antonyms: afscheidsavonden (farewell evenings)
  • Examples:
    • "De vereniging organiseert regelmatig kennismakingsavonden." (The association regularly organizes acquaintance evenings.)
    • "We hebben veel nieuwe mensen ontmoet op de kennismakingsavonden." (We met many new people at the acquaintance evenings.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

  • verjaardagsfeestje (birthday party): ver-jaar-daags-fees-tje. Similar structure with compounding and stress on the penultimate syllable.
  • werkzaamheden (activities/work): werk-zaam-he-den. Similar consonant clusters and vowel qualities.
  • voetballessen (football lessons): voet-bal-les-sen. Demonstrates the typical Dutch pattern of compounding and stress.

The differences lie in the specific morphemes and consonant clusters, but the overall syllabic structure and stress pattern are consistent.

Syllable Breakdown Details:

  • ken-nis-ma-kings-a-von-den
    • ken: /kɛn/ - Open syllable, vowel onset. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
    • nis: /nɪs/ - Closed syllable, consonant onset. Rule: Consonant clusters are maintained unless they violate sonority principles.
    • ma: /ma/ - Open syllable, consonant onset. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
    • kings: /kɪŋz/ - Closed syllable, consonant cluster onset. Rule: Consonant clusters are maintained.
    • a: /ɑ/ - Open syllable, vowel onset. Rule: Vowel-initial syllables are separated.
    • von: /vɔn/ - Closed syllable, consonant onset. Rule: Consonant clusters are maintained.
    • den: /dən/ - Closed syllable, consonant onset. Rule: Consonant clusters are maintained.

Exceptions/Special Cases:

  • The "sm" cluster in "makings" is treated as a single onset, rather than being split.
  • The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morpheme boundaries.

Division Rules Applied:

  • Vowel-Initial Syllables: Syllables starting with a vowel are separated.
  • Consonant Cluster Maintenance: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they violate sonority principles.
  • Penultimate Stress: Primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable.

Special Considerations:

  • Regional variations in pronunciation might slightly affect the precise realization of vowels, but not the syllabification.
  • The compound nature of the word requires understanding the morphemic boundaries.

Short Analysis:

"kennismakingsavonden" is a Dutch compound noun meaning "acquaintance evenings." It's syllabified as ken-nis-ma-kings-a-von-den, with stress on "-makings-". The word is formed from multiple morphemes indicating knowledge, making, evening, and plurality. Syllabification follows Dutch rules prioritizing vowel sounds and maintaining consonant clusters.

Analysis generated by gemma3:27b on 6/9/2025

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