Between dependens and terminans: the Conjunction Dilemma

Abstract

This paper examines how conjunctions challenge the Modist framework of dependens-terminans, a syntactic model rooted in Aristotelian metaphysics and central to medieval speculative grammar. Designed to capture all grammatical relations through asymmetric dependencies, mirroring potentiality and actuality, the model struggles when applied to coordinate structures, where elements hold equal syntactic weight. Conjunctions, which function relationally rather than hierarchically, resist classifcation as either dependens or terminans. By analysing key authors such as Thomas of Erfurt, Radulphus Brito, Michel de Marbais and Siger of Courtrai, the study explores how modists responded to this theoretical tension. The conjunction thus becomes a point of conceptual innovation, revealing the limits of Modist theory while also suggesting new theoretical possibilities. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of medieval syntax and its philosophical foundations.