Konnektiver

Konnektiver are words or phrases used to connect clauses, sentences, or parts of speech and to establish relationships that create coherence in a text. In linguistic terminology the term covers connectives that signal logical relations such as addition, contrast, causation, time, or condition. The Danish term konnektiver is commonly used in grammar and discourse analysis to refer to this broad class of linking elements.

There are several subtypes of konnektiver. Coordinating connectives link elements of equal syntactic status, for example og (and), eller (or), og men (but). Subordinating connectives introduce dependent clauses, such as fordi (because), hvis (if), når (when), and mens (while). Relative connectives introduce relative clauses, like som/der (that, which, where). In addition, adverbial or sentence-level connectives function as discourse markers, such as derfor (therefore), derfor, altså (thus), desuden (moreover), and dog (however). These can operate at the level of the sentence or across larger stretches of text.

Functionally, konnektiver guide readers through argument structure, indicate cause and effect, mark temporal order, express conditions, or signal contrast and consequence. They contribute to coherence by clarifying how ideas relate to one another and by signaling shifts in time, reason, or focus. Proper use of konnektiver improves readability and helps avoid abrupt transitions or misinterpretation of relationships between clauses.

Cross-linguisticly, konnektiver align with the broader concept of connectives or conjunctions found in many languages. While specific forms vary, the underlying purpose remains the same: to link ideas in a way that makes discourse intelligible and well structured. See also conjunctions, discourse markers, and syntactic cohesion.