A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

78 classification
classification (n.), classify (v.)
see class
classifier (n.) (1) (CL, class) In grammar, a morpheme whose function is to
indicate the formal or semantic class to which items belong is sometimes
called a classifier, e.g. -ly is an adverb classifier, -ess is a ‘femininity’ classifier.
The marking of lexical items as belonging to the same semantic class is an
important feature of many languages (e.g. Chinese, Vietnamese, Hopi), and
sometimes quite unexpected bases of classifications are found, in terms of shape,
size, colour, movability, animacy, status, and so on.
(2) In sign-language studies, a term used for a handshape which functions
pronominally for a class of objects, e.g. ‘vehicle’.
class node In feature geometry, a term which refers to a non-terminal node,
or ‘organizing’ node.
clausal (adj.)
see clause
clause (n.) A term used in some models of grammar to refer to a unit of
grammatical organization smaller than the sentence, but larger than phrases,
words or morphemes. The traditional classification is of clausal units into
main (independent or superordinate) and subordinate (or dependent) clauses,
e.g. The girl arrived/after the rain started. Some grammars distinguish finite
and non-finite types of clause, depending on the form of the verb used, and
further subdivisions are sometimes made (e.g. a reduced ‘verbless’ clause, as
in When ripe, these apples will be lovely). A more detailed subclassification
would take into account the function of clauses within the sentence, e.g.
as adverbial, noun or adjective. It would also analyse clauses into formal
elements of structure, such as subject, verb, object, complement and
adverbial.
Derived terms include wh-clauses, such as I wonder when they will leave;
that-clauses, such as They decided that the journey was too far; and small
clauses, a term used in government-binding theory for clauses which contain
neither a finite verb nor an infinitival to, such as I saw [him do it].
Mainstream generative grammar makes no formal distinction between clauses
and sentences: both are symbolized by S/S′ (or equivalents such as IP/CP). Some
grammarians make use of the notion of kernel clause: such a clause forms a
sentence on its own; is structurally complete, not elliptical; is declarative,
not imperative, interrogative or exclamative; is positive, not negative;
and is unmarked with respect to all the thematic systems of the clause. It
should be noted that this is not an alternative term for the early generative
grammar notion of ‘kernel sentence’. See also chain (4), serial verb.
clause-chaining language see chain (4)
clause-mate (n.) A term used in early generative grammar to refer to a type
of relationship between the elements of a sentence structure within a phrasemarker.
A and B are clause-mates if and only if the S node that most immediately
dominates A is also the S node that most immediately dominates B.
For example, in a tree partially illustrated by: