What is a background relation?

Definition
	A background relation is an interpropositional relation in which one or more propositions are provided as information necessary for the proper understanding of some other proposition(s).

Example (English)

In the following construction, the first proposition provides background information for the second:

Someone left a coffee cup in my office; would the owner please come and get it?

Adapted from:

Matthiessen and Thompson 1987 26

Generic
	A background relation is a kind of
	What is an interpropositional relation?

Concept module: background relation
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): B
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004