Hyphenation oftweeënzeventigjarige

Dutch Word Analysis: "tweeënzeventigjarige"

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "tweeënzeventigjarige" (meaning "seventy-two-year-old") is a complex compound adjective in Dutch. Its pronunciation involves a series of vowel and consonant clusters, typical of Dutch morphology.

2. Syllable Division:

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

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• tweeën - Prefix/Numeral: Derived from "twee" (two), with the addition of "-ën" forming a numeral compound.
• zeven - Root: Meaning "seven". Germanic origin.
• tig - Suffix: A numeral suffix indicating "tens". Germanic origin.
• jarige - Suffix: Meaning "year-old". Derived from "jaar" (year) with the adjectival suffix "-ig" and the ending "-e".

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: "ti-ge".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈtʋeːənˌzeːvə(n)tɪxˈjaːrɪɣə/

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. Vowel followed by a consonant. No exceptions.
• ën-: /ˈən/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant. The "ë" is a schwa and creates an open syllable.
• ze-: /ˈzeː/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant.
• ven-: /ˈvən/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant.
• tig-: /tɪx/ - Closed syllable. Consonant cluster "tig" is maintained as a unit. Dutch prefers to keep consonant clusters intact.
• ja-: /ˈjaː/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant.
• ri-: /ˈri/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant.
• ge-: /ˈɣə/ - Open syllable rule. Vowel followed by a consonant.

7. Edge Case Review:

The "tweeën" portion is a slight edge case as it's a compound numeral. However, the syllabification follows the standard rules for vowel-consonant patterns. The consonant cluster "tig" is also a common feature in Dutch numerals and is generally kept together.

8. Grammatical Role:

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

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: tweeënzeventigjarige
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Definitions:
  • "Seventy-two-year-old"
  • "Relating to someone who is seventy-two years old"
• Translation: Seventy-two-year-old
• Synonyms: None readily available as it's a specific age descriptor.
• Antonyms: jong (young)
• Examples:
  • "De tweeënzeventigjarige man fietste door het park." (The seventy-two-year-old man cycled through the park.)
  • "Zij is een tweeënzeventigjarige vrouw." (She is a seventy-two-year-old woman.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation exist in Dutch, but they don't significantly alter the syllabification. Some speakers might pronounce the "g" in "jarige" as a softer fricative, but the syllable structure remains the same.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• eenentwintigjarige (twenty-one-year-old): een-en-twin-tig-ja-ri-ge. Similar structure with numeral prefixes and suffixes.
• achtentwintigjarige (twenty-eight-year-old): acht-en-twin-tig-ja-ri-ge. Similar structure, demonstrating consistent syllabification of numeral compounds.
• vijftigjarige (fifty-year-old): vijf-tig-ja-ri-ge. Shows how the "tig" suffix consistently forms a closed syllable.