Clause

The term clause denotes a syntactic or grammatical unit, constituted by a word group organized according to language-specific rules that ensure a degree of grammaticality and minimally centered on a predicate, with an associated subject either overtly expressed or structurally implied. This article first traces a short history of the English term through the grammatical tradition and points out the main definitions of the concept as conceived at the level of the langue, according to some theoretical approaches. Furthermore, it provides a general classification of clauses based on specific parameters, functions and uses. Conceptual boundaries and possible overlaps with the term sentence are examined. The terminological situation in some other European languages is briefly outlined. Finally, the difference in usage and competing terms associated with different theoretical approaches are presented.