Hyphenation ofcomplementar-me-emos

Linguistic Analysis of "complementar-me-emos" (Portuguese)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "complementar-me-emos" is a conjugated verb form in Portuguese. It's a complex word formed by combining the verb "complementar" (to complement) with pronominal and inflectional suffixes. Pronunciation involves careful attention to vowel quality and nasalization, common in Portuguese.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Portuguese syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: None
• Root: complement- (Latin complementum - completion, filling up). This is the core meaning-bearing morpheme.
• Suffixes:
  • -ar (Latin -āre): Verbal infinitive ending.
  • -me (Portuguese reflexive pronoun): Indicates the action is performed on the subject itself.
  • -emos (Portuguese inflectional suffix): First-person plural present indicative ending.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second-to-last syllable: "men". This is determined by the general rule that words ending in vowels are stressed on the penultimate syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/kom.ple.men.taɾ.me.ˈe.muʃ/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• com-: /kõ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• ple-: /ple/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• men-: /ˈmẽ/ - Open syllable, stressed. Rule: Stress falls on the penultimate syllable in words ending in vowels. No exceptions.
• ta-: /taɾ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Consonant clusters are generally broken after the first consonant if it's a sonorant (like 'r'). Exception: 'tr' is often treated as a single unit, but here 't' precedes 'a' and is thus separated.
• me-: /me/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• e-: /e/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. No exceptions.
• mos: /muʃ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllables are formed around a vowel. The 'sh' sound is a single phoneme in Portuguese.

7. Edge Case Review:

The combination of the reflexive pronoun "-me" and the inflectional ending "-emos" can sometimes lead to elision or contraction in rapid speech, but the standard syllabification maintains the separation.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is a verb in the first-person plural present indicative, reflexive form. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of grammatical function.

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: complementar-me-emos
• Part of Speech: Verb
• Definitions:
  • "To complement ourselves"
  • "We complement each other"
• Translation: "We complement ourselves/each other"
• Synonyms: aprimorar-nos, completar-nos
• Antonyms: prejudicar-nos, danificar-nos
• Examples:
  • "Nós nos complementamos muito bem na equipe." (We complement each other very well on the team.)
  • "Complementar-me-emos para alcançar o sucesso." (We will complement ourselves to achieve success.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Brazilian Portuguese may exhibit slight variations in vowel quality and nasalization, but the syllabification remains consistent. Some speakers might reduce the vowel in "-me" to a schwa /ə/, but this doesn't affect the syllable division.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• cantaríamos: "can-ta-rí-a-mos" - Similar structure with verb root + inflection. Stress pattern is different (penultimate syllable).
• escreveremos: "es-cre-ve-re-mos" - Similar structure with verb root + inflection. More syllables due to the root's length.
• amaríamos: "a-ma-rí-a-mos" - Similar structure with verb root + inflection. Stress pattern is different (penultimate syllable).

The differences in syllable count and stress placement are due to the varying lengths and vowel structures of the verb roots. The core syllabification rules (vowel-centered syllables, consonant cluster breaking) remain consistent across these examples.