Clausulatuur

Clausulatuur is a term used in Dutch linguistics and philology to refer to the analysis of clauses and clausal structure in language. It concerns the ways in which sentences can be decomposed into units called clauses, how those clauses are combined through coordination and subordination, and how their syntactic and semantic roles contribute to overall sentence meaning.

Historically, the term emerged in early modern and 19th-century Dutch grammar and rhetoric to describe the clause-level organization of sentences, particularly in Latin and vernacular texts. In contemporary linguistics, the concept is usually covered under syntax or clause grammar, with clausulatuur appearing mainly in older grammars or in studies focusing on the history of grammar in Dutch.

Key topics within clausulatuur include clause types (main clauses and subordinate clauses such as adverbial, relative, and complement clauses), finite versus non-finite forms, the use of conjunctions and complementizers, as well as punctuation and the perception of clause boundaries. The analysis may also address argument structure, predicate-argument relations, and the distribution of tense, mood, and aspect across clauses.

Applications of clausulatuur include the description of classical Latin texts, the pedagogical description of sentence structure in Dutch, and comparative syntax. While not always used as a current technical label in modern linguistics, the term helps trace the development of clause-focused analysis and the evolution of grammar teaching.