Hyphenation ofinformationstjänsterna

Swedish Word Analysis: informationstjänsterna

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "informationstjänsterna" is a complex noun in Swedish, meaning "the information services." It's a compound word built from several morphemes. Pronunciation involves a relatively even distribution of stress, with a slight emphasis on the final syllable.

2. Syllable Division:

Following Swedish syllabification rules, which generally favor open syllables (CV structure) and avoid breaking consonant clusters unless they are complex, the division is as follows (using only original letters):

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: in- (Latin, meaning 'in', 'into', but functions as a prefix indicating the topic/content)
• Root: form- (Latin, meaning 'shape', 'form', here relating to 'information')
• Suffixes:
  • -ation (Latin, nominalizing suffix, creating a noun from a verb or adjective)
  • -s- (Swedish, genitive/plural marker, linking the compound)
  • -tjänst- (Swedish, meaning 'service')
  • -erna (Swedish, definite plural suffix)

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the penultimate syllable: -na. Swedish stress is generally predictable, falling on the first syllable of the root word in compounds.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ˌɪnfɔrmaˈɧɔːnˌtjæːnˌstærna/

6. Syllable Breakdown & Rule Application:

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

• in-for-ma-tion:
  • in- /ɪn/ - Open syllable (CV). Rule: Swedish prefers open syllables. No exceptions.
  • for- /fɔr/ - Open syllable (CV). Rule: Swedish prefers open syllables. No exceptions.
  • ma- /ma/ - Open syllable (CV). Rule: Swedish prefers open syllables. No exceptions.
  • tion /ɧɔːn/ - Closed syllable (CVC). Rule: Consonant clusters are maintained unless they are exceptionally complex. Exception: The /ɧ/ sound is a unique Swedish phoneme.
• -stjänst-er-na:
  • -stjänst- /stjæːn/ - Complex syllable, but follows the rule of maintaining consonant clusters. Rule: Avoid breaking up consonant clusters unless they are very complex.
  • -er- /ær/ - Open syllable (CV). Rule: Swedish prefers open syllables. No exceptions.
  • -na /na/ - Open syllable (CV). Rule: Swedish prefers open syllables. No exceptions.

7. Edge Case Review:

The /ɧ/ sound in "tion" is a characteristic of Swedish and can be challenging for non-native speakers. The consonant cluster "stj" is common in Swedish and doesn't typically cause syllable division issues.

8. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily a noun. Syllabification and stress remain consistent regardless of grammatical function (as it's a single, complex noun).

9. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: informationstjänsterna
• Part of Speech: Noun (definite plural)
• Definitions:
  • "the information services"
• Translation: English: "the information services"
• Synonyms: informationsutbudet (the information offering), informationsresurserna (the information resources)
• Antonyms: (Difficult to find direct antonyms, as it's a specific service)
• Examples:
  • "Vi använder ofta informationstjänsterna på biblioteket." (We often use the information services at the library.)
  • "Informationstjänsterna har blivit allt viktigare i dagens samhälle." (Information services have become increasingly important in today's society.)

10. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in Swedish pronunciation are relatively minor and wouldn't significantly alter syllable division. Some dialects might have slightly different vowel qualities, but the core syllabic structure remains the same.

11. Phonological Comparison:

• databaserna (the databases): da-ta-ba-ser-na. Similar structure with compound words and suffixes.
• telefontjänsten (the telephone service): te-le-fon-tjänst-en. Similar compound structure with a service-related suffix.
• universitetet (the university): u-ni-ver-si-te-tet. Demonstrates how Swedish handles longer words with multiple syllables and consonant clusters.

The differences lie in the specific consonant clusters and vowel qualities, but the underlying syllabification principles (open syllables, maintaining consonant clusters) remain consistent.