Hyphenation ofunderrättelseagenterna

Swedish Word Analysis: underrättelseagenterna

1. Examination & Pronunciation:

The word "underrättelseagenterna" is a complex noun in Swedish, meaning "the intelligence agents." It's formed through compounding and inflection. Pronunciation involves a relatively consistent vowel quality, with stress falling on the third syllable.

2. Syllable Division:

The syllable division, adhering to the rule of maximizing onsets (consonant clusters at the beginning of a syllable) and avoiding stranded consonants, is as follows:

3. Morphemic Analysis:

• Prefix: under- (from Old Norse undr meaning "under, beneath"). Function: Intensifier, indicating a lower or secondary level.
• Root: rätt- (from Old Norse rett meaning "right, correct, justice"). Function: Core meaning related to information or correctness.
• Suffix 1: -else (from Old Norse eldr meaning "fire, speed"). Function: Forms the noun "underrättelse" meaning "intelligence, information".
• Suffix 2: -agent- (borrowed from French agent). Function: Indicates an actor or operative.
• Suffix 3: -erna (definite plural marker). Function: Grammatical marker indicating plurality and definiteness.

4. Stress Identification:

The primary stress falls on the third syllable: un-der-rätt-else-a-gen-ter-na.

5. Phonetic Transcription:

/ʊnˌdɛrˈrɛtːɛlsɛˌaːɡɛnˈtɛːrna/

6. Edge Case Review:

Swedish syllable structure allows for relatively complex consonant clusters, particularly in onsets. The "rt" cluster in "rätt" is common and doesn't pose a division issue. The geminate consonant "tt" in "rättelse" is also standard.

7. Grammatical Role:

The word is primarily a noun. While theoretically, one could attempt to use parts of it in other ways (e.g., "underrättelse" as a verb-like noun), the syllabification remains largely consistent.

8. Definition & Semantics:

• Word: underrättelseagenterna
• Grammatical Category: Noun (definite plural)
• Translation: The intelligence agents
• Synonyms: Spionerna (the spies), säkerhetstjänstemännen (the security personnel)
• Antonyms: (Difficult to provide a direct antonym, as it's a specific role. Perhaps "civilianerna" - the civilians)
• Examples:
  • "Underrättelseagenterna samlade information om fienden." (The intelligence agents gathered information about the enemy.)
  • "Polisen samarbetade med underrättelseagenterna." (The police cooperated with the intelligence agents.)

9. Phonological Comparison:

• Vattenflaskorna (the water bottles): vat-ten-flas-kor-na. Similar syllable structure with consonant clusters. Stress pattern differs.
• Arbetsmarknaden (the labor market): ar-bets-mar-ka-den. Similar in having compound structure and a definite form.
• Universitetsstudenterna (the university students): u-ni-ver-si-tets-stu-den-ter-na. Demonstrates a longer compound word with multiple suffixes, similar to "underrättelseagenterna".

10. Division Rules:

• Onset Maximization: Syllables attempt to include as many initial consonants as possible. (e.g., "underrättelse" - "un-der-")
• Avoid Stranded Consonants: Consonants are not left at the end of a syllable unless they form part of a permissible cluster. (e.g., "agenterna" - "a-gen-")
• Vowel Centering: Each syllable generally contains one vowel sound.

11. Special Considerations:

The geminate consonant "tt" in "rättelse" doesn't affect syllable division, as it's treated as a single unit within the syllable. The "rn" cluster is permissible in Swedish onsets.

12. Alternative Pronunciations/Regional Variations:

Regional variations in vowel pronunciation might exist, but they wouldn't significantly alter the syllable division. Some speakers might slightly reduce the vowel in unstressed syllables.

13. Syllable Analysis Breakdown:

Here's a detailed breakdown of each syllable:

• un: /ʊn/ - Open syllable, onset "un", vowel "u". Rule: Onset Maximization.
• der: /dɛr/ - Open syllable, onset "d", vowel "e", coda "r". Rule: Vowel Centering.
• rätt: /rɛtː/ - Closed syllable, onset "r", vowel "ä", coda "tt". Rule: Avoid Stranded Consonants.
• else: /ɛlsɛ/ - Open syllable, onset "el", vowel "e", coda "se". Rule: Vowel Centering.
• a: /aː/ - Open syllable, vowel "a". Rule: Vowel Centering.
• gen: /ɡɛn/ - Open syllable, onset "g", vowel "e", coda "n". Rule: Vowel Centering.
• ter: /tɛːr/ - Open syllable, onset "t", vowel "e", coda "r". Rule: Vowel Centering.
• na: /naː/ - Open syllable, onset "n", vowel "a". Rule: Vowel Centering.