Hyphenation ofouderdomsvoorziening

Dutch Word Analysis: ouderdomsvoorziening

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word ouderdomsvoorziening is a complex Dutch noun meaning "old-age provision" or "facility for the elderly." It's a compound word, typical of Dutch, built from several morphemes. Pronunciation involves a mix of vowel qualities and consonant clusters common in Dutch.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Dutch syllabification rules, which generally favor open syllables (CV) and avoid breaking up consonant clusters unless absolutely necessary, the division is as follows (using only the original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• ouderdoms-: Prefix/Combining Form. Derived from ouderdom ("old age"). Origin: Germanic. Function: Indicates age-related context.
• voor-: Prefix. Origin: Germanic. Function: Indicates "for," "in advance of," or "provision for."
• ziening: Root. Derived from zien ("to see," "to provide"). Origin: Germanic. Function: Core meaning related to providing or seeing to something.
• -ing: Suffix. Origin: Germanic. Function: Nominalizing suffix, turning a verb-related form into a noun.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: voor-zie-ning.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈaʊ̯dərˌdɔmsvɔrˈziːnɪŋ/

6. Edge Case Review:

Dutch syllabification can be tricky with consonant clusters. The 'ds' in ouderdoms- is treated as a single unit for syllabification purposes, as is 'voor-'.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its grammatical function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: A facility or arrangement providing for the needs of elderly people.
• Translation: Old-age provision, elderly care facility.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (de)
• Synonyms: bejaardenzorg, verzorgingstehuis (nursing home)
• Antonyms: (None directly applicable, as it's a provision, not a state)
• Examples:
  • "De gemeente investeert in nieuwe ouderdomsvoorzieningen." (The municipality is investing in new old-age provisions.)
  • "Er is een tekort aan ouderdomsvoorzieningen in deze regio." (There is a shortage of old-age provisions in this region.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• levensverzekering (life insurance): le-vens-ver-ze-ke-ring. Similar compound structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.
• werkloosheidsuitkering (unemployment benefit): werk-loos-heids-uit-ke-ring. Again, a complex compound, stress on the penultimate syllable.
• gezondheidszorg (healthcare): ge-zond-heids-zorg. Similar structure, stress on the penultimate syllable.

The consistent stress pattern in these compounds highlights a common feature of Dutch phonology – penultimate stress in many compound nouns. The syllable division rules are also consistently applied, prioritizing open syllables where possible.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Open Syllable Preference: Dutch favors open syllables (CV) over closed syllables (CVC).
• Rule 2: Consonant Cluster Preservation: Consonant clusters are generally kept together within a syllable unless they are exceptionally difficult to pronounce.
• Rule 3: Morpheme Boundary Consideration: Syllable boundaries often align with morpheme boundaries, but this is not a strict rule.
• Rule 4: Penultimate Stress: In compound nouns, stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable.

11. Special Considerations:

The 'ds' cluster in ouderdoms- is a common feature of Dutch and is treated as a single unit for syllabification. The vowel quality of 'ou' is a diphthong, which influences the syllable structure.