Hyphenation ofneerslaghoeveelheden

Dutch Word Analysis: neerslaghoeveelheden

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "neerslaghoeveelheden" (precipitation amounts) is a compound noun in Dutch. Its pronunciation involves a series of consonant clusters and vowel sounds typical of the language. It's a relatively long word, posing challenges for syllabification.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and permissible consonant clusters, the word is divided as follows (see JSON output for the orthographic representation).

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• neer-: Prefix (origin: Germanic, related to 'down' or 'below'). Function: Indicates direction or result.
• slag: Root (origin: Germanic, meaning 'blow', 'impact', 'fall'). Function: Core meaning related to falling precipitation.
• hoeveel-: Root (origin: Dutch, meaning 'how much'). Function: Quantifies the precipitation.
• -heden: Suffix (origin: Dutch, derived from 'heid' meaning 'state' or 'condition'). Function: Forms a noun denoting a quantity or amount.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: "hoe-veel-he-den".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈneːrˌslaɣɦuːvəlˌheːdə(n)/

6. Edge Case Review:

Dutch allows for complex consonant clusters, which can influence syllabification. The 'sl' cluster is common and generally remains within a syllable. The 'gh' is a voiced velar fricative, and its presence doesn't significantly alter the syllabic structure.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a noun. Syllabification doesn't change based on grammatical function in this case.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The amount of precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.) that falls in a given period.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (de)
• Translation: Precipitation amounts
• Synonyms: neerslaghoeveelheid, hoeveelheid neerslag
• Antonyms: droogte (drought)
• Examples:
  • "De neerslaghoeveelheden waren afgelopen maand hoger dan normaal." (The precipitation amounts were higher than normal last month.)
  • "De boeren zijn bezorgd over de lage neerslaghoeveelheden." (The farmers are worried about the low precipitation amounts.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• waterpas /ˈvaːtərˌpɑs/ (level): 3 syllables. Similar vowel structure, but simpler consonant clusters.
• landschap /ˈlɑntsχɑp/ (landscape): 2 syllables. Demonstrates how Dutch handles consonant clusters before vowels.
• weersomstandigheden /ˈweːrsɔmˌstɑndɪɣə(n)/ (weather conditions): 5 syllables. Similar compound structure with multiple morphemes.

The differences in syllable count are due to the varying lengths and complexities of the morphemes and consonant clusters within each word. "neerslaghoeveelheden" has a longer root and more complex consonant clusters than the other examples.

10. Division Rules:

• Vowel-centric Syllabification: Each vowel sound generally forms the nucleus of a syllable.
• Consonant Cluster Rule: Permissible consonant clusters are kept together within a syllable.
• Moraic Weight: Longer vowels and certain consonant clusters can influence syllable weight.

11. Special Considerations:

The 'gh' sound can be pronounced differently in various Dutch dialects, but this doesn't affect the core syllabification. The final '-heden' is a common suffix and consistently forms its own syllable.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation might exist, but they won't fundamentally alter the syllable division.