occurand

Occurand is a hypothetical linguistic concept used to describe a specific kind of event structure in sentence-level semantics and syntax. It denotes a compound event in which two subevents are bundled into a single event frame and are linked by coordination, typically with the conjunction and. The term is used in theoretical discussions of how languages encode sequences of actions, causation, or simultaneity within a single clause or across clauses.

Definition and scope: An occurand involves at least two subevents that share a participant or a causal relation, and the linkage by a coordinating conjunction ties these subevents into one unit of discourse or time. This concept helps distinguish between tightly integrated, single-frame events and more loosely linked sequences.

Formal realization: In surface form, occurands are commonly realized by the conjunction and, sometimes with shared tense or aspect marking; punctuation and prosody may signal the boundary between subevents. In analysis, occurands are treated as a single event predicate with internal structure.

Examples: The chef chopped the onions and fried them. The sentence conveys two subevents with shared agent and a tight semantic link. She opened the door and stepped outside indicates a sequential occurand.

Significance and critiques: Occurand provides a compact way to discuss coordinated subevents, but its boundaries overlap with serial verb constructions and multi-clause sequences. Researchers debate its necessity and cross-linguistic validity.

See also: event structure, coordination, aspect, telicity, discourse analysis.