NErgänzung

nErgänzung is a term encountered mainly in German-language discussions of grammar and formal theories. The compound blends the noun Ergänzung (complement or addition) with a prefixed n, commonly interpreted as indicating a variable, a count, or a sequence position. Because it is not standardized, its precise meaning depends on the field and author.

In linguistics, n-Ergänzung refers to a generalized notion of a syntactic element that completes the meaning of a predicate. In valency theory and dependency grammar, it is used to describe a family of constructions in which the number of complements is fixed at n. For example, a verb that requires exactly two arguments would be analyzed as having a 2-Ergänzung. The term is primarily classificatory and helps generalize patterns across similar verbs or predicates.

In formal logic or mathematics, n-Ergänzung can denote the operation of extending a structure by n additional components, or the set of all n-ary relations that extend a base signature. The concept is used to discuss how systems grow when adding a fixed number of new elements or relations.

Usage and orthography vary: some writers hyphenate or capitalize as n-Ergänzung or N-Ergänzung. It is mostly seen in theoretical writings rather than as a widely used everyday term.

See also: Ergänzung; N-ary relation; Valency; Complement (grammar).