conjunctional

Conjunctional is an adjective meaning relating to conjunctions, the words or particles that connect words, phrases, or clauses. It is used mainly in linguistic and grammatical descriptions, where it serves as a technical term to describe connectors and their functions. In general usage, the noun conjunction is more common, and terms like conjunctive or conjunctival may also appear, but conjunctional remains standard in some scholarly contexts.

In grammar, a conjunction is a word that links elements within a sentence. Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) join elements of equal syntactic rank. Subordinating conjunctions (because, since, although, when) introduce dependent clauses. Correlative conjunctions (either… or, neither… nor) pair to create a linked construction. Conjunctional analysis investigates how these connectors operate within sentence structure, how they convey meaning such as addition, contrast, causation, or temporal relations, and how they influence punctuation and prosody.

Conjunctional phenomena may include aspects such as the form and position of the connector, its potential cliticization, and its role as a discourse marker or discourse-prioritizing element in larger text units. Across languages, conjunction systems vary widely, with some languages exhibiting rich inflectional or particle-based conjunctions beyond the simple words found in English. The study of conjunctional behavior intersects syntax, semantics, and typology, contributing to broader theories of sentence structure and meaning.

See also: conjunction, conjunctive adverb, subordinate clause, coordinating conjunction.