Basic concepts

The aim of immediate constituent analysis (IC analysis) is to bring out the hierarchical structure in the composition of a complex sign. To this end, it is assumed that a complex sign is composed in a stepwise procedure which, at each step, applies an operator to an operand. In the simplest case, there is just one operand, and the operator is a segmental sign like the operand. In this case, a binary analysis is possible in which the complex at hand can be shown to be composed of two sequential parts. That is, at each step a complex is cut into two parts. This is a binary analysis.

All the parts of a whole brought out by this analysis are its constituents. At each level, a cut separates the immediate constituents of the complex. Cuts performed at the level of parts bring out mediate constituents of the whole.

Given a complex that consists of a sequence of constituents abcd, the first cut could, in principle, yield the immediate constituents a - bcd or ab - cd or abc -d. Only one of these binary analyses is correct. The method of making the cuts correctly involves testing the paradigmatic and the syntagmatic relations. Paradigmatic relations are tested by substitution tests; syntagmatic relations are tested by permutation tests.

Substitution tests

Each x that is assumed to be a constituent is a member of a class – a grammatical category. At each level, the cut is performed in such a way that classes are maximized. The correct IC analysis of German Ununterscheidbarkeit ‘indistinguishability’ is [ [Un- [[unter scheid-] -bar]] -keit ].

The crucial point in this example is the combination of the prefix un- with unterscheidbar. Theoretically, the analysis could be [ Un- [unterscheidbarkeit]]. This, however, would presuppose that un- can combine freely with elements of the class that Unterscheidbarkeit belongs to. To this class – the abstract common noun – belong, for instance, Heiterkeit, Ruhe and Struktur. Now it is true that un- does combine with some nouns such as Ruhe (it does not combine with Struktur). However, the far majority of the nouns that may apparently be prefixed by un- start by an adjective as first member, just like Unterscheidbarkeit. And in all these cases – Unschönheit, Unklugheit, Unsauberkeit etc. –, the adjective itself also combines with un- (unschön, unklug, unsauber). And on the other hand, if a noun whose first member is an adjective does not take the prefix un-, as for instance Heiterkeit (*Unheiterkeit), then this adjective itself does not take it either (*unheiter). This proves that it is not the noun, but the adjective that is combined with un-. Cf. also the German explanation of the same method.

Permutation tests

Assume a sequence abc and let the question be whether constituency is [[ab][c]] or [[a][bc]]. This question may be answered by a permutation test as follows: If there is a permutation cab, then the correct constituency is obviously the former, while if there is a permutation bca, then the correct constituency is the latter. This applies, for instance, to a complex sentence with a conjunction “in the middle”, thus a combination whose structure is, superficially, 'S1 conjunction S2'. The question is: Does the conjunction coordinate S1 and S2, does it subordinate S1 in its final position or does it subordinate S2 in its initial position. The most reliable test to find this out is the permutation test. In a, while is the conjunction in question.

a has a permutation b, showing that the conjunction is a constituent of the second clause. At the same time, it must be a subordinative conjunction, because a coordinative conjunction has a fixed position between S1 and S2.