QUESTION
The other night you contrasted και and δε with ουν, γαρ and οτι. I couldn’t write fast enough. Can you refresh our memories? Thanks.
RESPONSE
Conjunctions and conjunctives (class and function) come under constructions.
There are 54 conjunction lexemes. An additional 11 adverbs and particles occasionally function conjunctively. 8% of conjunction occurrences are adverbial in context, but most conjunctions are always conjunctive. Three of the 54 conjunctions are never used conjunctively.
So 62 lexemes have conjunction types which are 1.) coordinating (13,70%), 2.) inferential (9, 9%), 3.) subordinating (25, 21%) and 4.) relative interrogative (5, 0%).(count represent lexemes; percentages represent occurrences in GNT). The first two are paratactic (their heads are at the same level) and the last two are hypotactic (they link the dependent to the head).
98% of conjunctive functions are performed by conjunctions. Functionally, conjunctives are 1.) main (27%), 2.) subordinating (21%) and 3.) coordinating (52%). Main and subordinating conjunctives are clausal but only half of coordinating conjunctives are clausal. Conjunctives link two words and are main if the prior conjunct is in a prior sentence. A sentence can have at most one main coordinating conjunction unless it is in a quote. Subordinating conjunctives are subordinating conjunctions, and coordinating conjunctives are coordinating conjunctions, but main conjunctions are 1.) coordinating (17%), inferential (9%) or occasionally crossovers like OTI.
So conjunctives are divided into a 2x2 conceptually
coordinating non-main (52%) coordinating main (17%)
subordinating (21%) inferential main (9%)
32 of the 54 conjunctions, like ουν, γαρ and οτι, are clausal-only, and 5 are never clausal. The other 17, like και and δε, are either clausal or non-clausal in context. δε is mostly clausal, but τε is mostly non-clausal; και is about equal. About 70% of conjunctions are clausal (finite verb). Some coordinating conjunctions like δε are adversative (and or but).
Many conjunction lexemes like ουν or γαρ are only main. γαρ, like for, is always main; οτι, like because, is usually subordinating, but editors may make it main by period placement. Even as an inferential main conjunction, it has a subordinating idea.
There is a play between conjunction types and conjunctive types (class and function). These concepts are thin and abstract at first but become natural and intuitive language patterns when the lexemes are listed with their types and when interface navigation in CG through the constructions make them concrete with all the example verses. It will be the CG task to make these patterns come alive for the GNT students the way they are for native speakers. The tactic is to provide direct connection between concepts and examples. The concepts may be simple individually but become more involved and interesting when compounded. As you can see, part of CG is classification of morphological and syntactical concepts.
— Dennis Kenaga