What is a conjunction?

Definition
	A conjunction is a word that
	syntactically links words or larger constituents, and expresses a semantic relationship between them.
	A conjunction is positionally fixed relative to one or more of the elements related by it, thus distinguishing it from constituents such as English conjunctive adverbs.

Examples (English)
	Coordinating conjunctions and or but Subordinating conjunctions because when unless

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of conjunctions:
	What is a coordinating conjunction? What is a subordinating conjunction?

Generic
	A conjunction is a kind of
	What is a word? What is a relator?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 80
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 48–49
	Pei and Gaynor 1954 45
	Mish 1991 277–278

Context for this page:

Concept module: conjunction
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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