discontinuerende

Discontinuerende is a term used in linguistics to describe a phenomenon in which a linguistic unit that would normally be contiguous is interrupted by material belonging to another unit, producing a surface form in which the elements that belong together are not adjacent. In practice, it is used to refer to discontiguous constituents, such as when a fronted element remains syntactically linked to a nonadjacent part of the sentence, or when a clause boundary splits a constituent.

The term is primarily found in Dutch-language grammars and syntactic studies, but it has been adopted in cross-linguistic discussions of discontinuity phenomena. Researchers use discontinuerende to discuss the idea that surface contiguity does not always reflect underlying hierarchical organization, and to analyze the requirements of movement, agreement, and binding in sentences with non-adjacent dependencies.

In theoretical terms, discontinuerende interacts with concepts such as discontiguous dependencies, extraction, fronting, and extraposition. It is common in discussions about languages with flexible word order, cross-serial dependencies, or long-distance dependencies, where a unit may be separated from its canonical position by intervening material. Critics argue that the label can be imprecise when applied across diverse constructions, and some approaches prefer more detailed descriptions of constituent structure rather than a single umbrella term.

Discontinuerende remains a niche but recurring term in the description of syntax, helping to frame discussions about non-adjacent relationships between elements within clauses and across phrases. See also: discontinuous constituency, movement, extraposition.