conjunction (n.) (conj)

A term used in the GRAMMATICAL classification of WORDS to refer to an ITEM or a process whose primary function is to connect words or other CONSTRUCTIONS. The conventional subclassification of these ‘connective’ items distinguishes CO-ORDINATING conjunctions (e.g. and, or, but) and SUBORDINATING conjunctions (e.g. because, when, unless) – also referred to as ‘co-ordinators’ and ‘subordinators’ respectively. Certain types of ADVERBIAL (those whose function is primarily connective) are also sometimes referred to as conjunctive, or simply as conjuncts, e.g. however, moreover, indeed. A process of conjunction is also recognized in TRANSFORMATIONAL accounts (as in formal logic), this normally being referred to as a CONJOINING transformation; the conjoined elements may also be referred to as conjuncts. In logic and FORMAL SEMANTICS, the term is often limited in application to the word and and its equivalents in other languages; opposed to DISJUNCTION.

In OPTIMALITY THEORY, a term referring to the combination of two CONSTRAINTS acting simultaneously. A conjoined constraint is violated when all of its constituent constraints are violated. For example, NoCoda-r (a prohibition on /r/ in CODAS) can be created by conjoining NoCoda with *r.