It will not be easy to disentangle all the relevant variables that are involved. Therefore, we intend to approach the subject matter as systematically as possible, by stepwise building a typology of (incomplete) parenthetical constructions and amalgamated sentences based on grammatical features. All data and results will be collected in a specialized database that will eventually be made publicly available via an online application. The intended system, of which a prototype called “paracrawler” is currently under development, allows us to map the relevant inventory of construction types within each particular language on an n‑dimensional space defined by the descriptive grammar. This will facilitate both comparative linguistics and theoretical analysis.

Nonsubordination is parataxis in the broad sense; it includes parenthesis, apposition, coordination, juxtaposition, hedging, etc. These phenomena constitute a neglected and problematic area of the language system. Therefore, this research aims at systematically mapping out and theoretically grounding the different aspects of nonsubordination. The present models of grammar are not fit for this task: as a consequence of the strict hierarchical design only subordination can be represented well. Presupposing that nonsubordination requires a place within syntax, we claim that a syntactic hierarchy-breaking mechanism is needed. We propose that this mechanism can be formally defined as a (second) structure building operation 'b-Merge', with which so-called parallel structures can be created. For simple coordination this gives interesting results, and we expect it to do so for the other types of parataxis as well. Two other relatively new - and we think important - developments will be incorporated into this research, namely the techniques of specifying coordination and grafting, inspired by Jan Koster and Henk van Riemsdijk, respectively. Grafting involves the amalgamation of parallel structures, which may well be the explanation for different kinds of entangled sentences. Specifying coordination amounts to the idea that the conjuncts in a coordination may refer to the same referent; this sheds new light on appositions and other phenomena.

There are three sub-projects. The first focuses on the development of the new theory, and on the empirical application within the realm of parentheses and related constructions. The second sub-project contributes to the theory of specifying coordination (both syntactically and semantically), and applies it to appositions. The third sub-project aims at the technique of grafting and investigates if it casts new light on backward conjunction reduction and other forms of sentence amalgamation.

In addition, we intend to create (i) an online database of paratactic constructions and (ii) visualization software for drawing complicated syntactic representations (with the help of student assistants).