Non-Correlative Compound Conjunctions between Standardization and Usage
Marta Kocjan Barle · ZRC SAZU, Založba ZRC eBooks · 2015
The article criticizes the terminologically inadequate and in terms of illustrative material poorly substantiated representation of non-correlative compound conjunctions in various scientific papers and language standardisation manuals, paying special attention to both print (2001) and electronic editions (2003) of the Slovene Normative Guide. The conjunctions are categorized according to their constituent parts. There follow a number of commentaries on the set of underrepresented and superfluous conjunctions, supported by statistical data obtained from the FidaPLUS language corpus. Incidentally, this kind of data also tends to reflect the use of the comma in the written textual corpus. In relation to the upcoming updated edition of the Slovene Normative Guide it remains to be determined which conjunctions may acquire the status of compound conjunctions. It should also be considered how to effectively formulate the rules behind their standardized use and offer a coherent dictionary representation in order for the average language user to be able to extract the necessary information. It has been observed that despite the fact that the use of the comma depends on a number of different factors (these are specified in the concluding part of the article and illustrated with the use of the compound conjunction kljub temu da 'even though'), the average language user will typically look for the relevant rule in the section dealing with the use of a particular conjunction – an observation which obviously calls for a careful reconsideration of the illustrative material that will appear in the relevant dictionary entry. This particularly important question will have to be addressed by the compilers of the dictionary part of the new edition of the normative guide.