Consectief

Consectief is a theoretical framework in cognitive linguistics and narrative studies that analyzes how sequences of events are encoded, interpreted, and anticipated in discourse. It investigates how speakers and writers arrange actions and states along a temporal axis and how linguistic cues signal progression, simultaneity, and causality across clauses and sentences.

The term emerged as a neologism in 2017, coined by linguist Dr. Mara Kline. It blends the Latin root sec- meaning following or sequence with a prefix con- and the qualitative suffix -ief to denote a theoretical construct describing cohesive sequencing in discourse.

Since its introduction, Consectief has been developed through cross-linguistic studies and corpus analyses, with applications ranging from literary analysis to dialogue systems. Researchers have proposed formal models that map events to a timeline and identify markers that indicate shifts in temporal perspective or focal point.

Its core components include a sequential encoder, which assigns events to a temporal axis; a cohesion module, which selects connectors and anaphoric cues; and a narrative-arc alignment mechanism, which tracks focal points to maintain coherence across segments. The framework distinguishes explicit connectors from implicit cues and tolerates varying cultural conventions of sequencing.

Consectief informs analysis of novels, films, journalism, and chat-based interactions. It guides natural language generation and summarization systems to preserve temporal order and narrative emphasis. It also serves as a pedagogical tool for teaching coherent writing structures.

Critics note that operationalizing the framework requires robust, multilingual data and clear metrics for sequentiality. Some argue that Consectief is too broad to capture all facets of coherence, calling for standardized evaluation benchmarks.