concatenation (n.)

A term used in the FORMAL representation of LINGUISTIC STRUCTURES, and especially in GENERATIVE GRAMMAR, to refer to a process for forming STRINGS of ELEMENTS, the elements being seen in a relation of linear succession, e.g.  (i.e. X is concatenated with or ‘chained together’ with Y, etc.). The concatenative properties of linguistic units are also central to some approaches in PHONETICS and PHONOLOGY, such as DEMISYLLABIC analysis.