mondatközi

Mondatközi is a term used in Hungarian linguistics to describe the relationship and cohesion between sentences within a text. It focuses on how ideas are connected across sentence boundaries, including punctuation marks and discourse markers that link sentences together. The concept helps distinguish links that cross from one sentence to the next from connections established within a single sentence.

The scope of mondatközi involves both punctuation and lexical devices that create inter-sentential coherence. Punctuation such as semicolons, colons, and dashes can signal a link between two sentences, while particles, adverbs, and conjunctions like ezért, azonban, tehát, így, vagy viszont act as discourse markers that bridge sentences. This differs from linking inside a sentence, where traditional subordinating or coordinating conjunctions operate within a single syntactic unit.

Typologically, mondatközi connections express relations such as continuation, cause and effect, contrast, sequence, explanation, and elaboration. They contribute to the overall coherence of a discourse by signaling how one sentence relates to the next, guiding the reader through argumentation, narrative progression, or descriptive development.

In education and stylistics, the notion is used to teach text organization, cohesion, and readability. Students may study how to choose appropriate inter-sentential markers and punctuation to improve clarity and flow. While the term appears in grammars and linguistic discussions, it is sometimes used interchangeably with related concepts such as mondatközi kapcsolatok or mondatközti kapcsolatok, depending on the author.

In short, mondatközi denotes the set of mechanisms that connect sentences across a text, shaping coherence and the reader’s interpretation of discourse.