anterogradiseksi

Anterogradiseksi is a term used in linguistics to describe a process where a linguistic element, such as a word or grammatical feature, influences the development or form of subsequent elements within a sentence or utterance. This influence is forward-looking, meaning the effect of the earlier element is observed in what comes after it.

This phenomenon is often studied in the context of language acquisition, where children may generalize rules or patterns they have learned from earlier linguistic experiences to new words or structures. For example, if a child learns the past tense of "walk" as "walked," they might then apply this regular past tense ending to irregular verbs, saying "goed" instead of "went." This is an instance of anterogradiseksi, where the learned pattern of adding "-ed" to form the past tense influences the formation of the past tense of a new verb.

In syntax, anterogradiseksi can manifest as the way the presence of a particular word or phrase can constrain or determine the grammatical possibilities for subsequent words. For instance, a transitive verb requires a direct object to follow it. The presence of the transitive verb creates an expectation or requirement for a subsequent noun phrase, demonstrating anterogradiseksi. It is a fundamental aspect of how linguistic meaning and structure unfold sequentially in communication.