What is a construction?

Definition
	A construction is an ordered arrangement of grammatical units forming a larger unit.

Discussion
	Different usages of the term construction include or exclude stems and words.

Examples (English)
	[subject + verb + object] forms a clause [determiner + noun] forms a noun phrase [adjective + noun + plural marker] forms a compound noun

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of constructions:
	What is an apposition? What is a clause? What is a clause chain? What is direct speech? What is an elliptical construction? What is an endocentric construction? What is an exocentric construction? What is an idiom? What is indirect speech? What is a phrase? What is a sentence? What is a serial verb construction? What is a stem? What is a word?

Generic
	A construction is a kind of
	What is a constituent?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 85–86
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 51
	Mish 1991 281
	Pike and Pike 1982 440
	Fleming 1988 263

Context for this page:

Concept module: construction
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): C
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: 28 January 2004

© 2004 SIL International