syncategorematic

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The Word of the Day for September 28 is: 

syncategorematic   \sin-kat-uh-gor-uh-MAT-ik\   adjective
          : forming a meaningful expression only in conjunction with a 
denotative expression (as a content word)

Example sentence:
        “In any language, there will be what are called syncategorematic words, 
such as prepositions and articles,” explained Dr. Lewis.

Did you know?
          In ancient Greek logic, “katēgorēma” referred to something that was 
affirmed or denied about the subject in a proposition. For instance, in “the 
paper is white,” “whiteness” would be the “katēgorēma.” Seventeenth-century 
logicians extended this concept, which they called “categorem,” to cover the 
subject of the proposition as well. So, in the proposition “All men are 
mortal,” “mortality” is a categorem and so is “man.” But what about “all”? 
Words like “all” that signify quantity (as well as words that function as 
adverbs, prepositions, or conjunctions) are syncategoremata -- that is, they 
are words that have meaning in propositions only when used in conjunction 
“with” other words. (“Syn-” means “with.”)





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