Hyphenation ofgenomsnittshastigheterna

Swedish Word Analysis: genomsnittshastigheterna

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "genomsnittshastigheterna" is a complex noun in Swedish, meaning "the average speeds". It's a compound word built from several morphemes. Pronunciation involves a mix of voiced and voiceless consonants, and vowel qualities typical of Swedish.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Swedish syllabification rules, which generally favor onsets and codas being maximized while avoiding stranded consonants, the division is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• genom-: Prefix, Old Norse origin, meaning "through".
• -snitt: Root, Old Norse origin, meaning "cut, average". Related to the verb "snitta" (to cut, to average).
• -s-: Genitive suffix, indicating possession or belonging (in this case, forming the definite form of the noun).
• -hastighet: Root, Germanic origin, meaning "speed".
• -erna: Definite plural suffix, indicating "the" + plural.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the second syllable: "snitt". Swedish generally stresses the first syllable of a word, but compound words often shift the stress to the second element.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/jɛnɔmˈsɳɪtːʃastɪˈɡeːtɛrna/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• ge-: /jɛ/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
• nom-: /nɔm/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs after a consonant that is part of a consonant cluster. No exceptions.
• s-: /s/ - Open syllable. Rule: Single consonant syllables are allowed. No exceptions.
• nitt-: /sɳɪtː/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs after a consonant cluster. The doubled 't' is considered part of the coda.
• s-: /s/ - Open syllable. Rule: Single consonant syllables are allowed. No exceptions.
• has-: /has/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
• tig-: /tɪɡ/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs after a consonant. No exceptions.
• he-: /heː/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.
• ter-: /tɛr/ - Closed syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs after a consonant. No exceptions.
• na-: /na/ - Open syllable. Rule: Syllable division occurs before a vowel. No exceptions.

7. Edge Case Review:

The doubled 't' in "nitt" is a common feature in Swedish and doesn't pose a significant syllabification challenge. The genitive 's' and the definite plural '-erna' are treated as separate syllables due to their grammatical function and pronunciation.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily a noun. Syllabification doesn't significantly change if the word were hypothetically used in a different grammatical context (which is unlikely given its structure).

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: genomsnittshastigheterna
• Part of Speech: Noun (definite plural)
• Definitions:
  • "the average speeds"
  • Translation: English: "the average speeds"
  • Synonyms: medelhastigheterna
  • Antonyms: maxhastigheterna (the maximum speeds), minsta hastigheterna (the minimum speeds)
  • Examples: "Polisen mätte genomsnittshastigheterna på motorvägen." (The police measured the average speeds on the highway.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation might exist, but they wouldn't fundamentally alter the syllabification. Some dialects might slightly reduce the vowel length in unstressed syllables.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• fotbollsmatcherna (the football matches): fo-tbolls-match-er-na. Similar structure with compound words and suffixes. Stress pattern is also similar.
• järnvägsstationerna (the railway stations): järn-vägs-sta-tion-er-na. Again, a compound noun with multiple suffixes. Syllabification follows the same principles.
• datorkomponenterna (the computer components): da-tor-kom-po-nen-ter-na. Similar syllable structure and stress pattern.

The consistency in syllabification across these words demonstrates the application of the same rules in Swedish. The primary difference lies in the specific consonant clusters and vowel qualities present in each word.