Determiner spreading 1970-01-01
Determiner spreading is a linguistic phenomenon observed in some languages, particularly in certain West African languages, where determiners (words that introduce nouns and provide information about their definiteness, quantity, etc.) can appear in a repeated or spread-out form. Instead of a single determiner introducing a noun phrase, multiple determiners can be used in conjunction with a noun or noun phrase.
Diathesis alternation 1970-01-01
Diathesis alternation refers to the phenomenon in linguistics where a single verb can have different syntactic constructions or roles depending on the context, and this change alters the way participants in the action or state described by the verb are expressed. It often involves changes between active and passive voice, but can also include other variations such as causative constructions or intransitive usage. For example, consider the verb "break": 1. **Active Voice**: "The boy broke the vase.
Differential argument marking 1970-01-01
Differential argument marking (DAM) refers to a linguistic phenomenon where certain grammatical markers are employed to differentiate between various arguments of a verb based on specific semantic or syntactic criteria. This can occur within the framework of case marking, agreement, or other grammatical features, which indicate distinctions among participants in an action or state.
Differential object marking 1970-01-01
Differential Object Marking (DOM) is a linguistic phenomenon found in some languages where certain direct objects are marked with a special grammatical marker (often a case, preposition, or an article) based on specific semantic or pragmatic features. This typically involves distinguishing between different types of objects that may require different levels of attention or specificity from the speaker.
Discontinuity (linguistics) 1970-01-01
In linguistics, "discontinuity" refers to a phenomenon where elements that are typically expected to be adjacent or in a contiguous structure are instead separated within a sentence or phrase. This can manifest in various ways, often involving grammatical constructions or syntactic movements that lead to gaps between related components. One common example of discontinuity occurs in the context of "discontinuous constituents," where elements that function together within the sentence are split apart, often by intervening phrases or clauses.
Dislocation (syntax) 1970-01-01
In syntax, dislocation refers to a construction where a constituent, such as a noun phrase or a clause, is moved away from its canonical position in a sentence, often to the periphery, while still maintaining a clear link to the rest of the sentence. Dislocation is commonly used to highlight, emphasize, or provide additional information about the dislocated element.
Do-support 1970-01-01
Do-support refers to the use of the auxiliary verb "do" in English to form questions, negatives, and emphatic statements. It plays a crucial role in English grammar, particularly in the simple present and simple past tenses. Here are some key aspects of do-support: 1. **Questions:** In English, when forming questions in the simple present or simple past tense, "do" is used to create interrogative sentences. For example: - Statement: "She likes coffee.
Dynamic antisymmetry 1970-01-01
Dynamic antisymmetry is a concept in quantum mechanics and quantum chemistry that pertains to the behavior of identical particles, particularly fermions, which are particles that follow the Pauli exclusion principle. This principle states that no two fermions can occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. Dynamic antisymmetry refers to the idea that the wave function describing a system of identical fermions must be antisymmetric with respect to the exchange of the particles.
Ellipsis (linguistics) 1970-01-01
In linguistics, ellipsis refers to the omission of one or more elements from a sentence or phrase that are understood from the context, allowing for a more concise expression. This phenomenon occurs when certain words or phrases are not necessary for comprehension because they are implicitly understood by the listener or reader. Ellipsis can occur in various parts of a sentence, including verbs, subjects, objects, and phrases.
Endocentric and exocentric 1970-01-01
Endocentric and exocentric are terms often used in linguistics, particularly in the study of phrases and compound words. ### Endocentric An endocentric construction is one in which the meaning of the larger unit (phrase or compound) is primarily derived from one of its parts. In simpler terms, endocentric phrases contain a head that defines the category of the whole structure.
Equative 1970-01-01
"Equative" refers to a grammatical or linguistic construction that expresses equality or equivalence between two elements. In various contexts, it can take different forms: 1. **Grammar:** In grammar, equative constructions often involve the use of the verb "to be" or similar verbs to indicate that two subjects are equal in some way. For example, in English, the sentence "A dog is an animal" makes an equative statement by asserting that a dog and an animal are equivalent.
Ershov Number 1970-01-01
The Ershov number is a concept used in the field of computer science and mathematics, specifically in the context of programming language theory and functional programming. It is used to denote the level of a computation in a programming language based on how deeply nested the computations are. Named after the Soviet mathematician and computer scientist, Andrei Ershov, the Ershov number can serve as a measure of the complexity of a program or function.
Extraposition 1970-01-01
Extraposition is a linguistic phenomenon in which a clause or phrase that would typically appear in a more typical syntactic position is instead placed later in the sentence, often for the purpose of emphasizing other elements or improving the flow of the sentence. In English, extraposition is especially common with certain types of clauses, such as that-clauses or wh-clauses. For example, instead of saying: 1. "That the meeting was canceled surprised everyone.
Feature (linguistics) 1970-01-01
In linguistics, the term "feature" refers to a distinctive characteristic or property of a linguistic unit, which can be sound, word, phrase, sentence, or other language elements. Features help categorize and differentiate linguistic items based on specific criteria. They can be found in various areas of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Functional shift 1970-01-01
A functional shift, also known as a shift in grammatical function or part of speech shift, refers to the process in linguistics where a word changes its function (or part of speech) without any additional morphological change. This means that a word originally belonging to one grammatical category (like noun, verb, adjective, etc.) is used as a word from a different category.
Generative semantics 1970-01-01
Generative semantics is a theoretical framework in the field of linguistics that emerged in the 1970s, primarily associated with the work of scholars such as Barbara Partee, Richard Montague, and others. This approach focuses on the relationship between syntax (the structure of sentences) and semantics (the meaning of sentences) in language. It posits that the meaning of a sentence can be generated directly from its syntactic structure through a set of rules and principles.
Government (linguistics) 1970-01-01
In linguistics, "government" refers to a grammatical relationship in which one lexical item (typically a verb, preposition, or adjective) controls or requires the syntactic form of another, often determining the case of a noun phrase or the form of a complement. This concept is particularly prominent in discussions of syntax and case theory. For example, in many languages, certain verbs require their objects to be in a specific case.
Grammatical relation 1970-01-01
Grammatical relation refers to the relationship between constituents within a sentence that defines their syntactic roles and functions. It encompasses how words relate to each other in terms of their grammatical roles, such as subject, object, or complement. These relationships help determine how sentences are structured and how meaning is conveyed. In linguistics, the most common grammatical relations include: 1. **Subject**: The doer of the action or the entity that is being described (e.g.
Hypotaxis 1970-01-01
Hypotaxis is a grammatical term that refers to the use of subordinate clauses or phrases to convey relationships between ideas, creating a hierarchical structure in sentences. It contrasts with parataxis, which is the arrangement of clauses or phrases one after another without explicit connections, often using coordinating conjunctions or punctuation to link ideas. In hypotaxis, clauses are dependent on one another, allowing for more complex expression and nuanced relationships between ideas.
Immediate constituent analysis 1970-01-01
Immediate Constituent Analysis (ICA) is a linguistic methodology used to break down sentences into their constituent parts. The approach focuses on identifying the immediate constituents (ICs), which are the immediate parts or components of a larger linguistic unit, like a sentence. ### Key Concepts of Immediate Constituent Analysis: 1. **Constituents**: These are the parts of a sentence that function as single units. They can be words or phrases that combine to create a larger structure.