Ultimate Constituent

Broader Terms

  • BT Constituent
Definition note

An ultimate constituent is one of the grammatically irreducible units that constitutes a construction .

Example note

In the construction the dog that killed the cat, the following are ultimate constituents:

  • the
  • dog
  • that
  • kill
  • -ed
  • the
  • cat
Bibliographic note 3
Page/s: 38
Source: Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985

Quirk, Randolph, S. Greenbaum, G. Leech, and J. Svartvik. 1985.A comprehensive grammar of the English language. London: Longman.

Page/s: 281
Source: Mish 1991

Mish, Frederick (editor). 1991.Webster's ninth new collegiate dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. 1,564 pages. 0877795088; indexed 0877795096; deluxe 087779510X.

Page/s: 68
Source: Crystal 1985

Crystal, David. 1985.A dictionary of linguistics and phonetics. 2nd edition. New York: Basil Blackwell.