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a chain of connected ideas or passages or objects so arranged that each member is closely related to the preceding and following members (especially a series of patristic comments elucidating Christian dogma)
a sequence or chain of linguistic units, such as words or morphemes, that are linked together to form a larger structure
What is a "catena"?
A catena is a linguistic term that refers to a chain of related words or phrases that are connected by their meanings, often forming a coherent unit within a sentence or discourse. This concept emphasizes how different elements of language work together to create meaning. For example, in the phrase "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," each word contributes to the overall meaning, forming a catena that conveys a specific image or idea. Understanding catenae is important for analyzing how language is structured and how meaning is generated through the relationships between words.
