Hyphenation ofenfebrecer-lhes-íamos

Linguistic Analysis of "enfebrecer-lhes-íamos" (Portuguese)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "enfebrecer-lhes-íamos" is a conjugated verb form in Portuguese. It's a complex word formed by combining the verb "enfebrecer" (to weaken, to sicken), the clitic pronoun "lhes" (to them), and the ending "-íamos" (imperfect subjunctive, 1st person plural). Pronunciation involves careful attention to vowel quality, nasalization, and the liaison between word parts.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Portuguese syllabification rules, the word breaks down as follows (using only original letters): en-fe-bre-cer-lhes-i-á-mos

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: en- (Latin origin, meaning 'in', 'within', intensifying action). Morphological function: verbal prefix.
• Root: febrecer (Latin febris - fever). Morphological function: verb stem, denoting the core meaning of becoming weak or sick.
• Suffix: -lhes (Portuguese clitic pronoun, derived from a eles - to them). Morphological function: indirect object pronoun.
• Suffix: -íamos (Portuguese verbal ending, imperfect subjunctive, 1st person plural). Morphological function: tense-mood-person marker.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the root: fe-bre-cer. This is due to the general rule that words ending in vowels are stressed on the penultimate syllable.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ẽ.fe.bɾe.ˈseɾ.ʎes.i.ˈa.muʃ/

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of the verb and clitic pronoun requires careful consideration. The liaison between "cer" and "lhes" is common but can be subtle. The imperfect subjunctive ending "-íamos" is relatively standard and doesn't present significant syllabification challenges.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is exclusively a verb form. Syllabification remains consistent regardless of its function within a sentence.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To weaken them, to sicken them, to make them ill.
• Part of Speech: Verb (Imperfect Subjunctive, 1st person plural)
• Translation: We would weaken them / We would make them sick.
• Synonyms: debilitar-lhes-íamos, adoecer-lhes-íamos
• Antonyms: fortalecer-lhes-íamos, sarar-lhes-íamos
• Examples:
  • "Se não tivéssemos cuidado, as doenças poderiam enfebrecer-lhes-íamos." (If we hadn't been careful, diseases could have weakened them.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• cantaríamos: can-ta-rí-a-mos. Similar structure with a verb root and ending. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the root.
• esquecer-lhes-íamos: es-que-ce-ri-a-mos. Similar structure with a verb root, clitic pronoun, and ending. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the root.
• compreender-lhes-íamos: com-pre-en-de-ri-a-mos. Similar structure with a verb root, clitic pronoun, and ending. Stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the root.

The syllable division is consistent across these examples, demonstrating the application of Portuguese syllabification rules. The presence of the clitic pronoun "lhes" introduces a slight variation in the syllable count, but the core principles remain the same.

Division Rules Applied:

1. Vowel Rule: Each vowel sound generally forms a syllable.
2. Consonant Cluster Rule: Consonant clusters are broken according to sonority (more sonorous sounds take precedence).
3. Penultimate Stress Rule: Words ending in vowels are stressed on the penultimate syllable.
4. Clitic Pronoun Rule: Clitic pronouns are treated as separate syllables when attached to verbs.