Hyphenation ofstemmerettsalder

Norwegian Nynorsk Word Analysis: stemmerettsalder

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "stemmerettsalder" refers to the voting age. It's a compound noun common in Nynorsk. Pronunciation follows Nynorsk standards, with a relatively even stress distribution, though the final syllable tends to be less prominent.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Nynorsk syllable division rules, which prioritize vowel sounds and consonant clusters, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• stemme-: Root. Origin: Old Norse stemma meaning 'voice'. Morphological function: relates to voting/expression.
• rett-: Root. Origin: Old Norse rettr meaning 'right'. Morphological function: indicates a legal or moral entitlement.
• s-: Linking consonant. No independent morphemic meaning.
• alder: Suffix. Origin: Old Norse aldr meaning 'age'. Morphological function: denotes a period of life or time.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second syllable: stem-me-rett-sal-der. Nynorsk generally has a weaker stress system than English, but content words like nouns receive more prominence.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˈstɛmːəˌrɛtːsˌaldər/

6. Edge Case Review:

The double consonants (mm, tt, ss) are common in Nynorsk and don't present unusual syllabification challenges. The 'r' sound is often retroflex in Nynorsk, but this doesn't affect syllable division.

7. Grammatical Role:

"Stemmerettsalder" is exclusively a noun. Its structure doesn't lend itself to other parts of speech without significant modification. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: The age at which a person is legally allowed to vote.
• Grammatical Category: Noun (masculine gender)
• Translation: Voting age
• Synonyms: valalder (more common Bokmål equivalent)
• Antonyms: (None directly applicable - it's an age threshold)
• Examples:
  • "Debatten om å senke stemmerettsalderen er aktuell." (The debate about lowering the voting age is current.)
  • "I Noreg er stemmerettsalderen 18 år." (In Norway, the voting age is 18 years.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• vennskapsbånd (friendship bond): ven-nskaps-bånd. Similar structure with compound roots and consonant clusters. Stress on the second syllable.
• arbeidslivet (working life): ar-beids-li-vet. Similar vowel-consonant alternation. Stress on the second syllable.
• samfunnsansvar (social responsibility): sam-funns-an-svar. Similar compound structure. Stress on the second syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the second syllable in these words highlights a common tendency in Nynorsk compound nouns.

10. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

11. Division Rules:

• Vowel Nucleus Rule: Each syllable must contain a vowel sound.
• Onset-Rime Rule: Syllables are divided into an onset (initial consonant(s)) and a rime (vowel and any following consonants).
• Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are generally maintained within a syllable unless they are easily separable based on pronunciation.

12. Special Considerations:

The compound nature of the word requires careful consideration of morphemic boundaries, but these don't override the basic syllabification rules.

13. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in Nynorsk pronunciation might affect the length of vowels or the degree of retroflexion of the 'r' sound, but these variations wouldn't fundamentally alter the syllable division.