Sufunktion

Sufunktion is a term used in the field of linguistics to describe a grammatical function that is not a primary function of a word or phrase. It is often used to refer to the secondary or additional roles that a word or phrase may play in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "The big dog barked loudly," the word "loudly" is a sufunction because its primary function is to modify the verb "barked," but it also provides additional information about the manner in which the dog barked.

Sufunktionen can be found in various languages and serve different purposes. They can provide additional information about the time, place, manner, cause, or purpose of an action, among other things. In some cases, sufunctions can be optional and may be omitted without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "She sang beautifully," the word "beautifully" is a sufunction that can be omitted to produce the sentence "She sang," which still conveys the main idea.

The study of sufunctions is important in linguistics because it helps to understand how languages structure information and how different elements of a sentence interact with each other. By identifying and analyzing sufunctions, linguists can gain insights into the grammatical and semantic systems of various languages.