Hyphenation ofsubentender-lhes-emos

Linguistic Analysis of "subentender-lhes-emos" (Portuguese)

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "subentender-lhes-emos" is a conjugated verb form in Portuguese, specifically the future subjunctive of "subentender" (to understand, to infer) with a pronoun clitic attached. Pronunciation involves careful attention to vowel quality, nasalization, and the liaison between syllables.

2. Syllable Division:

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

sub-en-ten-der-lhes-e-mos

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: sub- (Latin) - Indicates "under," "below," or "partially." Function: Intensifier/Modifier.
• Root: entender (Latin intendere - to stretch the mind towards) - "to understand," "to comprehend." Function: Lexical core.
• Suffixes:
  • -er (Latin) - Infinitive marker. Function: Grammatical.
  • -lhes (Portuguese) - Indirect object pronoun clitic (to them). Function: Grammatical.
  • -emos (Portuguese) - Future subjunctive ending. Function: Grammatical (tense/mood/person).

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable of the verb stem, "der" in "subentender". Therefore, the stressed syllable is "der".

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/su.bẽ.tẽ.ˈdeɾ.ʎɛʃ.ˈe.muʃ/

6. Edge Case Review:

The pronoun clitic "lhes" presents a potential edge case. Pronoun clitics in Portuguese can sometimes influence syllabification, but in this case, it's treated as a separate syllable due to its distinct pronunciation and grammatical function. The 'lh' digraph is a single phoneme /ʎ/.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is a verb form. If "subentender" were used as a noun (though rare), the stress would remain on the penultimate syllable, and the syllabification would be largely unchanged.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: subentender-lhes-emos
• Part of Speech: Verb (Future Subjunctive)
• Definitions:
  • "We will understand them" (in a hypothetical or conditional context).
  • "We will infer to them."
• Translation: We will understand them / We shall understand them.
• Synonyms: compreender-lhes-emos, perceber-lhes-emos
• Antonyms: ignorar-lhes-emos, desentender-lhes-emos
• Examples:
  • "Se eles não explicarem, subentender-lhes-emos as intenções." (If they don't explain, we will understand their intentions.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• compreender-lhes-emos: com-pre-en-der-lhes-e-mos - Similar structure, stress on the penultimate syllable of the root.
• esquecer-lhes-emos: es-que-cer-lhes-e-mos - Similar structure, stress on the penultimate syllable of the root.
• aprender-lhes-emos: a-pren-der-lhes-e-mos - Similar structure, stress on the penultimate syllable of the root.

The consistency in stress placement on the penultimate syllable of the root demonstrates a regular pattern in Portuguese verb conjugation. The clitic pronoun "lhes" consistently forms its own syllable.

10. Division Rules:

• Rule 1: Vowel Groups: Vowels forming a diphthong or triphthong are generally kept together in the same syllable (e.g., "en", "der").
• Rule 2: Consonant Clusters: Consonant clusters are broken according to sonority, with the more sonorous consonant typically joining the following vowel (e.g., "sub").
• Rule 3: Penultimate Stress: Words ending in vowels, 'n', or 's' are generally stressed on the penultimate syllable.
• Rule 4: Pronoun Clitics: Pronoun clitics generally form their own syllable.

11. Special Considerations:

The presence of the clitic pronoun "lhes" requires careful consideration. While it could theoretically be attached to the preceding syllable, it's standard practice to treat it as a separate syllable due to its distinct pronunciation and grammatical function.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Brazilian Portuguese might exhibit slight variations in vowel quality and nasalization, but the syllabification would remain largely the same. Some regional accents might reduce or elide certain vowels, but this doesn't fundamentally alter the syllable structure.