What is a clause chain?

Definition
	A clause chain is a group of clauses in which
	one clause, typically the final clause, is distinguished from the other clauses, typically medial clauses, by a difference of verb morphology, and each medial clause is marked to show whether or not its subject is the same as the subject of some reference clause. The reference clause may follow it or may be the final clause in the chain.

Discussion
	Temporal and causal relations between the clauses are typically signaled.

Generic
	A clause chain is a kind of
	What is a construction?

Sources
	Longacre 1985 263–265
	Longacre 1983 299

Context for this page:

Concept module: clause chain
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: 5 January 2004

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