Appositio

Appositio is a term used in linguistics to denote the appositive construction, in which two noun phrases refer to the same entity and are placed next to each other. The term derives from Latin appositio, meaning placing near, and is often used in grammars to describe a non-restrictive identification or explanation of a referent.

In English, an appositive phrase is typically set off by commas: "Marie Curie, a pioneering scientist, won Nobel Prizes." In Latin and other languages, apposition can be more tightly integrated, with agreement in case and number, and sometimes without explicit punctuation.

Apposition serves to add extra information, clarification, or identification without creating a new clause. It can be descriptive, as in "The river Nile, the longest in Africa, flows..." or nominal, as in "The author Orwell, known for his dystopian novels, wrote 1984." Distinctions are made between non-restrictive apposition, which provides additional non-essential information and is punctuated, and restrictive (or identifying) apposition, which specifies which entity is meant, though in English this is less common and often rephrased to a relative clause.

In cross-linguistic use, appositive constructions vary in punctuation, case marking, and agreement. Some languages allow multiple appositive elements in sequence. The study of apposition touches on syntax, punctuation conventions, and discourse management, illustrating how languages mark additional identification without forming a separate clause. See also appositive construction, noun phrase coordination, and relative clauses for related concepts.