rank (n.)

In HALLIDAYAN LINGUISTICS, a term which refers to one of the SCALES of analysis, which interrelates the CATEGORIES of the theory, viz. the HIERARCHICAL arrangement of linguistic UNITS within a linguistic LEVEL. The GRAMMATICAL rank scale, for instance, recognizes SENTENCE–CLAUSE–GROUP– WORD–MORPHEME in a relationship of inclusion (i.e. a sentence consists of one or more clauses, etc.). Other scales in this approach are labelled EXPONENCE and DELICACY. The term rank shift is used to refer to a linguistic process when a given unit is ‘shifted’ down the rank scale, so that it operates within the structure of a lower unit (or one of equal rank); e.g. a clause working within a group (as in RELATIVE clauses, e.g. the lady who came in asked . . . ) is said to be a rank-shifted clause.