subordinator
- noun
- /səˈbɔːrdɪˌneɪtər/
- Specialized
:
subordinador
- Examples of subordinators include words like 'if', 'while', and 'since', which introduce subordinate clauses in complex sentences.
Examples
-
Leo, I understand that, but you have to realize... there'll be major subordinator debt involved.
-
A subordinator like 'although' helps connect ideas by introducing a dependent clause.
-
In the sentence 'I will go to the park because it is sunny', 'because' is a subordinator that links the two clauses.
Synonyms
A word that joins a part of a sentence to the main sentence, like because or although
A word that introduces a clause that cannot stand alone, like because or although
Surface Forms
Morphology
subordinator = subordinate (transparent) = subordinate + or
Formed by adding the agentive suffix '-or' to the verb 'subordinate', producing 'one that subordinates' or, in grammar, 'a word that introduces a subordinate clause', which is clear to learners who know 'subordinate'.
Etymology
The word subordinator comes from the parts sub- meaning 'under' and order meaning 'to arrange'. So a subordinator is a word that puts a clause 'under' the main clause, which is why words like 'because' and 'although' make one part of the sentence depend on another.
