Hyphenation offlexibilizar-lhes-ão

Linguistic Analysis of "flexibilizar-lhes-ão" (Portuguese)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "flexibilizar-lhes-ão" is a complex verb form in Portuguese, specifically the third-person plural future subjunctive of the verb "flexibilizar" combined with a clitic pronoun and a personal ending. Pronunciation involves a blend of vowel reduction, nasalization, and palatalization common in Brazilian Portuguese, though European Portuguese pronunciation will differ slightly.

2. Syllable Division:

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

flex-i-bi-li-zar-lhes-ão

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: flex- (Latin flectere - to bend). Function: Forms the verb, indicating adaptability.
• Root: biliz- (derived from Latin bilis - will, desire, and -lis- a suffix indicating capability). Function: Core meaning of making flexible.
• Suffix: -izar (Latin -izare). Function: Verb-forming suffix.
• Clitic Pronoun: lhes (Latin illis). Function: Indirect object pronoun (to them).
• Personal Ending: -ão (Latin -ant). Function: Marks third-person plural future subjunctive.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the verb stem, "zar" in "flexibilizar". However, the presence of the clitic pronoun and personal ending shifts the perceived stress slightly, making the entire "lhes-ão" unit somewhat prominent. The stress pattern is complex due to the enclitic nature of the pronoun.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/fle.ʃi.bi.li.zaɾ.ʎes.ˈɐ̃w̃/ (Brazilian Portuguese)
/fle.ʃi.bi.li.zaɾ.lɨʃ.ˈɐ̃w̃/ (European Portuguese - palatalization of /l/ before /i/)

6. Edge Case Review:

The combination of a verb, clitic pronoun, and personal ending is a common source of syllabification complexity. The liaison between "zar" and "lhes" is crucial. The final "-ão" is a typical ending for the future subjunctive and requires careful consideration.

7. Grammatical Role:

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

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Definition: To make flexible, to adapt, to render pliable.
• Translation: To make flexible, to adapt.
• Part of Speech: Verb (Future Subjunctive)
• Synonyms: adaptar, amoldar, maleabilizar
• Antonyms: rigidificar, endurecer
• Examples:
  • "Esperamos que eles flexibilizarem-lhes-ão as regras." (We hope they will make the rules flexible for them.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• similarizar (to make similar): si-mi-la-ri-zar. Similar syllable structure, with the verb-forming suffix "-izar". Stress falls on the penultimate syllable.
• facilitar (to facilitate): fa-ci-li-tar. Similar structure with "-izar" suffix. Stress on the penultimate syllable.
• organizar (to organize): or-ga-ni-zar. Again, the "-izar" suffix. Stress on the penultimate syllable.

The consistent stress pattern on the penultimate syllable before the suffix is a key feature of these verbs. The addition of the clitic pronoun and personal ending in "flexibilizar-lhes-ão" adds complexity but doesn't fundamentally alter the core syllable structure of the verb stem.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Vowel Grouping: Vowels within a dipthong or triphthong are generally kept together in a single syllable (e.g., "i" in "flex-i-").
• Rule 2: Consonant Clusters: Consonant clusters are broken according to sonority, with the more sonorous consonant typically joining the following vowel (e.g., "z" in "li-zar").
• Rule 3: Clitic Pronoun Separation: Clitic pronouns are generally treated as separate syllables when attached to a verb.
• Rule 4: Final "-ão": The ending "-ão" usually forms a separate syllable.

11. Special Considerations:

The enclitic pronoun "lhes" presents a challenge. While it's a separate morpheme, it's phonologically integrated with the verb. Regional variations in pronunciation (e.g., palatalization of /l/ in European Portuguese) can affect the perceived syllable boundaries.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

European Portuguese tends to palatalize the /l/ sound before /i/, resulting in a pronunciation closer to /fle.ʃi.bi.li.zaɾ.lɨʃ.ˈɐ̃w̃/. This doesn't change the syllable division, but it alters the phonetic realization.

13. Short Analysis:

"flexibilizar-lhes-ão" is a complex verb form divided into seven syllables: flex-i-bi-li-zar-lhes-ão. It's formed from the root "flexibiliz-" (Latin origin), the clitic pronoun "lhes", and the personal ending "-ão". The stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the verb stem ("zar"). The word's syllabification follows standard Portuguese rules, with considerations for vowel groupings, consonant clusters, and clitic pronoun attachment.