Hyphenation oftweeëntwintigjarige

Dutch Word Analysis: tweeëntwintigjarige

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word tweeëntwintigjarige (meaning "twenty-year-old") is a complex compound adjective in Dutch. Its pronunciation involves several vowel and consonant clusters, requiring careful syllabification. The 'g' is a voiced velar fricative /ɣ/, and the 'j' represents /j/.

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 original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: twee- (two) - Germanic origin, numeral prefix.
• Root: entwintig (twenty) - Germanic origin, numeral root.
• Suffix: -jarige (year-old) - Germanic origin, adjectival suffix indicating age.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: -gar-.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈtʋeːnʔənˈtʋɪntɪxˈjaːrəɣə/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable, with IPA transcription, rule application, and potential exceptions:

• twee-: /ˈtʋeː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around vowel nuclei. No exceptions.
• ën-: /ˈən/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel after a consonant forms a syllable. The 'ë' is a schwa, and the 'n' is syllabic.
• twin-: /ˈtʋɪn/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster after a vowel forms a syllable.
• tig-: /ˈtɪx/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant cluster after a vowel forms a syllable.
• ja-: /ˈjaː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel forms a syllable.
• re-: /ˈrə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel forms a syllable.
• ga-: /ˈɣa/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel forms a syllable.
• re-: /ˈrə/ - Open syllable. Rule: Vowel forms a syllable.

7. Edge Case Review:

Dutch allows for some flexibility in syllabification, particularly with consonant clusters. However, the above division adheres to the most common and accepted patterns. The 'nt' cluster is generally kept together.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily an adjective. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of its use in a sentence.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: tweeëntwintigjarige
• Translation: Twenty-year-old
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Synonyms: twintigjarige (twenty-year-old - less precise)
• Antonyms: ouder (older), jonger (younger)
• Examples:
  • "Een tweeëntwintigjarige student." (A twenty-year-old student.)
  • "Ze is een tweeëntwintigjarige vrouw." (She is a twenty-year-old woman.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation exist, but they don't significantly alter the syllabification. Some speakers might pronounce the 'g' as a softer /x/ in certain regions.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• eenentwintig (eleven): e-en-en-twin-tig. Similar structure with numeral components.
• drieëntwintig (thirteen): drie-ën-twin-tig. Similar structure with numeral components.
• vierentwintig (fourteen): vier-en-twin-tig. Similar structure with numeral components.

The syllable division is consistent across these words, demonstrating the regular application of Dutch syllabification rules to compound numerals. The main difference lies in the initial consonant clusters, which form their own syllables.