Teilbegriff

Teilbegriff is a German term used in philosophy, linguistics and cognitive science to denote a concept that forms part of a larger concept. It refers to a subordinate or more specific aspect within a general domain, serving to refine or decompose a concept into smaller, communicable parts.

Etymologically, Teilbegriff combines Teil (part) with Begriff (concept), signaling a scoped component of a broader idea. In theoretical discussions, Teilbegriffe help analysts describe how knowledge is organized, whether within taxonomies, concept lattices, or facet-based classifications. They are typically contrasted with Oberbegriffe (superordinate terms) that name the broad category from which Teilbegriffe derive.

Applications and examples vary by field. In semantics and concept analysis, a concept like Kommunication can be broken into Teilbegriffe such as Sprache (spoken language), Schrift (written language), and nonverbale Kommunikation (nonverbal communication). In information modelling, Teilbegriffe may correspond to facets or dimensions that refine a general concept without reclassifying it as a completely separate category.

Relation to other terms can differ by author or discipline. Teilbegriff is often related to, but not always identical with, Unterbegriff (subterm) or Teilkonzept (subconcept). Some texts treat Teilbegriff as emphasizing an aspectual or dimensional subdivision rather than a strict taxonomic rank, while others use the terminology more interchangeably.

In practice, the notion of Teilbegriff supports explanatory decomposition, conceptual modelling, and the analysis of how complex ideas are structured. It highlights that many broad concepts are best understood through their constituent parts, each contributing a particular facet to the whole. See also Oberbegriff, Unterbegriff, Teilkonzept.