2. Terminology

2.1. General format for terms and definitions

In a terminological network, a term is defined by a set of relations to other terms. The relations are standardized. At least the following relations hold between linguistic concepts:

1. x (as an individual) is a (kind of) y

e.g.: ablative is a case

is a nominal category
minal category is a morphological category
causative verb is a verb

2. x (as a class) is a y

e.g.: adjective is a word class

nasal is a phoneme class
causative verb is a verb class

3. x is a class of y

e.g.: word class is a class of word

phoneme class is a class of phoneme
verb class is a class of verb

4. x is a part/element of y

e.g.: word order is part of syntax

syntax is part of grammar
grammar is part of language system

5. x is an aspect/property of y

e.g.: arbitrariness is aspect of linguistic sign

nominal category is aspect of noun
adequacy is aspect of theory
endocentricity is aspect of syntagm

6. x is an operator of (the operation/process) y

e.g.: case is operator of case marking

comparative is operator of comparison
quantifier is operator of quantification

7. x is a result of (the operation/process) y

e.g.: cleft sentence is result of clefting

definite description is result of determination
ideophone is result of sound symbolism

8. x is a member of (the relation) y

e.g.: adjunct is member of adjunction

subordinate clause is member of subordination
attribute is member of attribution
allomorph is member of allomorphy

9. x is a manifestation of (the functional domain) y

e.g.: possessive affix is manifestation of possession

case role is manifestation of participation
local relator is manifestation of spatial orientation

10. x expresses y

e.g.: article expresses determination

interrogative sentence expresses question
case expresses case relation
personal affix expresses person

11. x is an object of (the discipline) y

e.g.: agglutination is object of morphological typology

aphasia is object of speech pathology
meaning is object of semantics
concept is object of logic.

12. x is a representative of (the discipline) y

e.g.: Bloomfield is representative of American structuralism

Saussure is representative of European structuralism
Pike is representative of tagmemics

13. x is cross-related to y

e.g.: adequacy is cross-related to naturalness

adjective is cross-related to attribute
adposition is cross-related to affix
accusative is cross-related to direct object
anaphora is cross-related to referential identity

These relations have different logical properties. #1, 3 and 4 are transitive. All of them except #13 are subordinative, i.e. they generate a conceptual hierarchy. #13 will become superfluous once the subordinative relations have been enumerated exhaustively and have been made fully explicit.

Once properties are introduced besides relations, some of the relations are seen to be compound. E.g.:

is an object of the discipline (x, y) iff is a discipline (y) and is an object of (x, y).

If a distinction between sets and non-sets could be made, then the relation is part/element of could be differentiated into 1) is element/subset of and 2) is part of.

Some of these relations are purely logical, others are peculiar to linguistics. Some connect concepts of like logical status (e.g. #1), others concepts of quite different status (e.g. #12).

A major problem is posed by the systematic polysemy of terms like syntax:

a. syntax is part of the object area of linguistics:

→ word order is a part of syntax;

b. syntax is a discipline

→ word order is an object of the discipline syntax.

 

2.2. Abbreviations of terms

0 submorphemic unit morphological unit
1 first person person
12 first person dual inclusive dual inclusive
12 first and second person person
1HML speaker-humble humble
1HON speaker-honorific honorific
2 second person person
2HML addressee-humble humble
2HON addressee-honorific honorific
3 third person person
3HML referent-humble humble
3HON referent-honorific honorific
A transitive subject agreement subject agreement
A transitive subject subject
ABL ablative case
ABS absolutive case
ABSL absolute nominal category
abstr abstract nominal category
ABSTR abstract marker derivational morpheme
ACAUS anticausative detransitivizer
ACC accusative case
ACCES accessory case
ACNNR action nominalizer nominalizer
ACR actor 1 inflectional category
ACT active voice
actr actor 2 semantic role
ADEL adelative case
ADESS adessive case
ADIT aditive case
Adj adjective word, part of speech
Adjl adjectival  
adjn adjectivalization derivation, syntactic process
AdjP adjective phrase syntactic category, phrase
ADJR adjectivalizer  
ADM admonitive case
AdNCl adnominal noun clause noun clause, attribute
Adp adposition relator, particle
AdpP adposition phrase syntactic category, phrase
AdRlCl adverbial relative clause adverbial clause, relative clause
Adv adverb word, part of speech
AdvCl adverbial clause subordinate clause, adverbial
Advl adverbial modifier
Advn adverbialization derivation, syntactic process
AdvP adverb phrase syntactic category, phrase
ADVR adverbializer  
ADVRS adversative subordinate clause
AFCT affect 1 affix
Afct affect 2 syntactic category
aff affix morpheme
AFFMT affirmative  
AG agentive case
Ag agent actor 2
AGNR agent nominalizer nominalizer
Agr agreement syntactic technique
AL alienable  
ALL allative case
ALLOC allocutive addressee-honorific
AN animate nominal category
ANA anaphoric  
AND andative case
ANT anterior relative tense
AOR aorist aspect
APASS antipassive voice
app apposition attribute
APPL applicative  
APPR apprehensional subordinate clause
Art article word, part of speech
Asp aspect verbal category
ASRT assertive mood
ASSOC associative case
AT attributor linker
ATT attenuative aktionsart
attid attitudinal adverbial
attrib attributive  
AUG augmentative size
AUX auxiliary grammatical formative, part of speech
AVERS aversive case
B bound  
BEN benefactive 1 case
Ben benefactive 2 verbal derivation
ben benefactive 3 semantic role
between word or clitic between two elements word, clitic
CARD cardinal number nominal category
Card cardinal numeral
cat category concept
CAUS causative verbal category
CCnj coordinative conjunction conjunction
CdCl conditional clause adverbial clause
CdCnj conditional conjunction conjunction
CIRC circumstantial subordinate clause
Cl clause syntactic construction
cldub clitic doubling syntactic process
CLF classifier  
CLn noun class n nominal category
CLT clitic word
CLVn verb class n verbal category, linguistic class
CMP completive aspect
CMPR comparative nominal category
CmprCl comparative clause subordinate clause
Cnj conjunction connective
CNTV conative mood
CO coordinator  
COLL collective  
colloqu colloquial  
COM comitative case
COMM common gender
COMP complementizer 1 subordinator 1, complementizer 2
Comp complementizer 2 subordinator 2
CompCl complement clause complement 2
Compl complement 1 sentence component
Con connective particle, relator
CONC concessive mood
COND conditional mood
CONN connector connective
CONSEC consecutive subordinate clause
CONST construct nominal category
CONT continuous aktionsart
COP copula 1 copula 2
Cop copula 2 verb
Corr correlative  
CprC comparative construction syntactic construction
CRAS crastinal tense
CRlCl completive relative clause relative clause
CsCl concessive clause adverbial clause
CsCnj concessive conjunction conjunction
ctr contrast syntagmatic relation
D1 deictic of 1 person  
D12 deictic of 12 person  
D2 deictic of 2 person  
D3 deictic of 3 person  
DAT dative case
DE dual exclusive dual, exclusive
Decl declension  
DECL declarative mood
def definite article article
DEF definite  
DEFR deferential honorific
Degr degree  
DEL delative case
DEM demonstrative  
deriv derivational morpheme morpheme
DES desiderative verbal category
descr descriptive  
DEST destinative case
Det determiner syntactic category
DetP determiner phrase phrase, syntactic category
DETR detransitivizer  
DI dual inclusive dual, inclusive
dial used in some dialect but not the standard  
DIM diminutive size
DIR directional 1 case
Dir directional 2 derivational morpheme
DirAdv directional adverbial adverbial
DirC direct case case
disc discontinuity  
dispf dispreference  
DIST distal deictic of 1 person
DO direct object agreement object agreement
DObj direct object object
Dprn demonstrative pronoun pronoun
DR direct verbal category
DS different subject verbal category
DSTR distributive nominal category, verbal category
DU dual number
DUB dubitative mood
DUR durative aktionsart
DWNT downtoner particle
DYN dynamic aspect
EGR egressive aktionsart
ELAT elative case
EMPH emphasizer 1 emphasizer 2
Emph emphasizer 2 grammatical formative
EMPH emphatic  
encl enclitic  
epist epistemic  
EQT equative morphological category
ERG ergative 1 case
Erg ergative 2 complement
ESS essive case
ev eventive  
eval evaluative  
Evid evidential modality
EXCL exclamative mood
EXIST exist(ential) verb
EXP experiential aspect
exp experiencer semantic role
Expl expletive element  
extra extraposition word order
EXTRV extraversive transitive
F feminine gender
FACT factitive  
FAM familiar pronominal category
fav favoured  
FIN finite  
FNL final position marker position marker
Fnl final  
fo force semantic role
FOC focus marker emphasizer 2
Foc focusing emphasis
FocP focus position position
FREQ frequentative aktionsart
FRM formal mood
frm found only in formal varieties of the language formal
FUT future tense
G ditransitive "goal" semantic role
GEN genitive case
Gend gender nominal class
GER gerund nonfinite verb, verbal noun
giv given  
GivTop given topic topic, given
gnr generic expression  
GNR generic  
go goal semantic role
HAB habitual aspect
HCR hypocoristic affect
HEST hesternal tense
HML humble behavior of address
HODFUT hodiernal future future
HODPST hodiernal past past
HON honorific  
HORT hortative mood
HUM human nominal category
HYP hypothetical mood
Idprn indefinite pronoun pronoun
Idx index formal symbol
ILL illative case
IMMFUT immediate future future
IMP imperative mood
IMPF imperfect tense
imposs impossible  
IMPR impersonal personal affix
INAL inalienable  
INAN inanimate nominal category
INCH inchoative aktionsart
INCONS inconsequential mood
IND indicative mood
INDEF indefinite  
Indef indefinite article article
INESS inessive case
Inf infinitive nonfinite verb, verbal noun
INF infinitive marker verbal category
infl inflection  
INFR inferential mood
INGR ingressive aktionsart
INJ injunctive mood
INST instrumental case
INSTNR instrument nominalizer nominalizer
instr instrument semantic role
Int intensifier  
INT interrogative question particle, morphological category
Interr interrogative word word, interrogative
Intj interjection particle
INTR intransitive verbal category
intro used typically only in introductory sentences  
INTRV introversive detransitivizer
INTS intensive aktionsart
INV inverse verbal category
inv inversion word order, movement rule
INVS invisible  
IO indirect object agreement object agreement
IObj indirect object object
IPFV imperfective aspect
Iprn interrogative pronoun pronoun
IPS impersonal passive passive
IpSbj impersonal subject subject
IRLS irrealis mood
IS intransitive subject agreement subject agreement
ISbj intransitive subject subject
ITER iterative aktionsart, verbal plurality
jrl journalist usage language level
JUSS jussive mood
Juxt juxtaposed  
LAT lative case
Ld left dislocation extraposition, topicalization
lex lexical  
LIG ligature  
LNK linker  
LOC locative local case
loc local rest semantic role
LOCNR place nominalizer nominalizer
LOG logophoric pronoun
M masculine gender
MAL malefactive  
MAN manner 1 case
man manner 2 semantic role
MANNR manner nominalizer nominalizer
marg marginal  
MCl main clause clause type
Md mood verbal category
Mdl modal  
MED medial deictic of 2 person
MEDP mediopassive voice
MEDT mediative case
MEDV medial verb form  
MHUM masculine personal personal
MID middle voice
middle middle of clause; area between Aux V position
Mod modifier sentence component
Modif modification linguistic operation
morph morphological  
MRlCl modal relative clause adverbial relative clause, modal
MTV motivative case
N noun word, part of speech
NAbstr abstract noun noun
Nagr nominal agreement agreement
Nal alienable noun noun
NARR narrative tense
narrsequ used typically in narrative sequences  
NB not bound  
NBprt body part noun noun
Nbr number nominal category
NCl noun clause complement clause
Nclf numeral classifier classifier
NCMP noncompletive aspect
Ncol collective noun noun
NComm common noun noun class
NCount count noun noun
NEG negative  
NFIN nonfinite verbal category
NFNL nonfinal position marker position marker
Nfoc nonfocus  
NFUT nonfuture tense
NHUM nonhuman nominal category
Ninal inalienable noun noun
NKin kinship noun noun
Nl nominal syntactic category
NlCas cased nominal nominal
NMass mass noun noun
NMHUM nonmasculine personal personal
nodiff no difference  
NOM nominative case
NP noun phrase syntactic category, phrase
NPL non-plural number
NProp proper noun noun
NPST nonpast tense
NR nominalizer  
NRFUT near future future
NRPST near past past
NSG non-singular number
NSPEC nonspecific  
NT neuter gender
Ntop nontopic  
Num numeral noun
Num+ORD ordinal numeral numeral
NumP numeral phrase noun phrase
NVCl non-verbal clause clause
NVIS non-visual evidential evidential
NVOL nonvolitional mood
OBJ object agreement verbal agreement
Obj object complement
OBL oblique oblique case
Obl oblique case case
OBLG obligative mood
oblig obligatory syntagmatic relation
OBV obviative person
Obvn obviation morphological position
occ occurrence linguistic unit
OComp object of comparison object
OPT optative mood
optl optional syntagmatic relation
ORD ordinal numeral
out word or clitic outside of the possessive construction word, clitic
P transitive patient complement
P1 initial position corresponding to GB Comp position position
PART participle marker  
Part participle nonfinite verb, verbal noun
PASS passive voice
Pat patient undergoer
PATNR patient nominalizer nominalizer
PAU paucal number
Pclf possessive classifier classifier
PE plural exclusive plural, exclusive
PEJ pejorative affect
periph periphrastic  
PERL perlative case
Pers person verbal category, nominal category, pronominal category
PF perfect tense
PFV perfective aspect
PI plural inclusive plural, inclusive
PL plural number
PLUP pluperfect tense
PNCT punctual aktionsart
PO primary object agreement object agreement
PObj primary object object
POCRAS postcrastinal tense
poetic used only in poetry style
POHOD post-hodiernal  
PoP postposition phrase phrase
Posp postposition adposition
POSS possessive  
possb possible  
possm possessed  
possr possessor  
post postposed  
POST posterior relative tense
POSTEL postelative case
POSTESS postessive case
postV postverbal position
POT potential mood
Pprn personal pronoun pronoun
PREC precative mood
PRECLUS preclusive case
PRED predicative  
PredP predicate phrase phrase
pref prefix affix
prefr preference  
Prep preposition adposition
PrepP preposition phrase syntactic category, phrase
prev preverb morpheme, relator
preV preverbal position
PRHEST pre-hesternal tense
Prn pronoun noun
PROC processual  
PROCESS processive  
procl proclitic clitic
PROG progressive aspect
PROH prohibitive mood
PROL prolative case
PROPR proprietive possessive
PROSP prospective aspect
PROX proximal deictic of 1 person
PRS present tense
PRTV partitive case
PRV privative case
PRX proximate person
ps personal  
Psaff personal affix affix
psd-cl pseudo cleft sentence complex sentence
PsPass personal passive passive
PST past tense
PstnRlCl postnominal relative clause relative clause
Ptl particle morpheme, word, part of speech
PURP purposive case
purp purpose semantic role
Q question particle particle
QLNR quality nominalizer nominalizer
Qnt quantifier word, part of speech
QntP quantifier phrase phrase 1
QUOT quotative  
Rcprn reciprocal 2 pronoun
Rd disjuncture extraposition
RDP reduplicative submorphemic unit
rec recipient semantic role
RECP reciprocal 1 voice
RECPST recent past past
REFR referential determination
REL relative clause marker  
REL relative morpheme
RelCl relative clause attribute, clause type
REMFUT remote future future
REMPST remote past past
REP repetitive aktionsart
RES resultative aspect, aktionsart
restop resumed topic topic
restr restrictive  
RFL reflexive 1 voice
Rflprn reflexive 2 pronoun
RFR referentive case
rigid does not allow variation  
RLS realis mood
RPRN relative pronoun pronoun
RPRT reportative  
RVRS reversive aktionsart
Sbj subject sentence component
SBJ subject agreement verbal agreement
SCnj subordinative conjunction subordinator 2
sec second  
sem semantic  
SENS sensory evidential evidential
SEQ sequential  
set setting local adverbial
SG singular number
SGT singulative nominal category
SIM simultaneity taxis
SIM simultaneous  
Size size  
SMLF semelfactive aktionsart
SO secondary object agreement object agreement
SObj secondary object object
sou source semantic role
spa speech act  
SPEC specific  
Spec specifier  
SR subordinator 1 subordinator 2
SS same subject verbal category
STAT stative aktionsart
Std standard of comparison  
stlg standard language register
str stress suprasegmentalia
SubCl subordinate clause clause, clause type
SUBEL subelative case
SUBESS subessive case
SUBJ subjunctive verbal category
SUBL sublative case
Subr subordinator 2 conjunction
suff suffix affix
SUP superlative nominal category
SUPEL superelative case
SUPESS superessive case
SUPL super-lative case
synth synthetic passive passive
T ditransitive "theme" semantic role
temp temporal temporal deictic
tend tendency  
TERM terminative aktionsart
Tns tense verbal category
TOP topic  
TopP topic position position
TR transitive verbal category
Trans transitivity fundamental relation
TRNSF transformative case
TRNSL translative case
TRR transitivizer  
Tshift topic shift topicalization
UGR undergoer 1 inflectional category
ugr undergoer 2 semantic role
unacc unaccusative  
unerg unergative  
UNSPEC unspecified inflectional category
V verb word, part of speech
V1 verb initial position
V2 verb second position
Vagr verbal agreement agreement
val valence relationality
var variation process
Vce voice verbal category
VCl verbal clause clause
Vdtr ditransitive verb transitive verb
VEN venitive directional
Vers version voice
Vintr intransitive verb verb
VIS visual evidential
Vl verbal  
VN verbal noun noun
VOC vocative case
VOL volitional mood
VP verb phrase phrase, syntactic category
VR verbalizer  
Vrfl reflexive verb verb
VS visible  
Vtr transitive verb verb
wght weight  
wh-quest question word question interrogative sentence
Word word grammatical unit
yn yes/no question interrogative sentence
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