Synesis Glossary of terms

Synesis is a semantic agreement that prioritizes meaning over formal grammatical structure in a sentence.

Additional Information

Translations: synesis, notional agreement, notional concord
Related concepts: Kongruenz, Kollektivum, grammatisches Geschlecht, natürliches Geschlecht

Detailed Explanation

In Synesis, the agreement between subject and verb or between noun and adjective is based on the implicit meaning rather than the explicit grammatical form. This phenomenon allows for constructions that, although technically incorrect from a strictly grammatical point of view, are accepted and common in everyday language use.

Synesis is particularly relevant in cases of collective nouns or when grammatical gender does not match natural gender.

Usage examples of "Synesis"

📝 Some usage examples:

Die Mannschaft haben das Spiel gewonnen.Although 'Mannschaft' is singular, the verb is in the plural because it refers to multiple players.
Das Mädchen ist sehr hübsch. Sie lächelt oft.Even though 'Mädchen' is neuter, the feminine pronoun 'sie' is used based on natural gender.
Eine Menge Leute waren auf der Straße.The verb is in the plural although 'Menge' is singular, because the focus is on the plurality of 'Leute' (people).

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