Phrasekoordination

Phrasekoordination is a syntactic construction in which two or more constituents of the same syntactic category are linked by a coordinating conjunction to form a larger constituent of that category. It operates at the level of phrases rather than full clauses and is distinguished from Satzkoordination, where the units joined are independent clauses. In German grammar, phrase coordination is a common mechanism for creating lists, parallel predicates, and joined descriptions.

Conjuncts in phrase coordination can be noun phrases (NPs), verb phrases (VPs), prepositional phrases (PPs), or adjective phrases (APs). The usual connecting words are coordinating conjunctions such as und, oder, aber, denn, and occasionally sowie. The result is a coordinate structure whose syntax mirrors the category of the conjuncts. The conjuncts have to be constituents of the same category and typically form a single larger phrase, as in Der Mann und die Frau gehen; Sie trinken Kaffee und Tee; mit dem Auto oder dem Fahrrad; groß und stark.

Semantics and restrictions: The conjunctions convey different readings—und yields an additive reading, oder a disjunctive reading (inclusive or exclusive depending on context), und manchmal aber introduces a contrast. In written German, a comma is commonly used to separate the conjuncts, especially when they are long or when a pause is intended. Phrasekoordination can interact with ellipsis, parallel structure constraints, and topic-prominence in sentence processing.

Cross-linguistic notes: Coordination patterns and permissible categories vary across languages, affecting how phrases are combined and how multiple items are expressed within a single unit. Phrasekoordination thus provides a window into how different languages package multiple items into coherent syntactic units.