substitution class

9.4

A group of words that can replace each other in the same sentence position

noun
/ˌsʌbstɪˈtuːʃən klæs/

Specialized

: clase de sustitución

The pronouns 'he', 'she', and 'it' all belong to the same substitution class in this grammatical slot.

Examples

In the sentence, the substitution class for the subject includes words like 'dog', 'child', and 'teacher'.
Linguists use the concept of substitution class to analyze sentence structures across different languages.
The substitution class of verbs includes action and linking verbs.
In linguistics, a substitution class can enhance sentence structure.
In the sentence, the substitution class for the subject includes words like 'dog', 'child', and 'teacher'.
Linguists use the concept of substitution class to analyze sentence structures across different languages.
The pronouns 'he', 'she', and 'it' all belong to the same substitution class in this grammatical slot.

Synonyms

paradigm

vssubstitution class

Specialized

1 8.7

Words that can replace each other in the same sentence position

emphasizes replacing without breaking syntactic acceptability

Surface Forms

substitution class singular

substitution classes plural

Morphology

substitution + class

The meaning 'group of items that can be substituted for one another' is directly derivable from combining 'substitution' (replacing one item with another) and 'class' (a category or group). This transparent noun+noun compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The term substitution class comes from the simple image of a class, a group of words you can substitute into the same 'slot' in a sentence. So it means 'a group of words you can swap into the same place without making the sentence wrong'.