The class of ‘relators’ contains those grammatical elements which serve to link two constituents together, and/or to mark the function(s) of a constituent as specified in underlying clause structure. Relators may mark a relation of coordination or a relation of dependency. In the former case we speak of “coordinators”. Coordinators link two or more relata of equal rank, without forming a constituent with any of them. The resulting structures can be represented as: (11) [relatum] R [relatum] Relators which mark a relation of dependency comprise (i) adpositions, (ii) case markers, (iii) subordinating elements (= either independent subordinating particles or subordinating affixes). These relators link a dependent constituent to a head. They form one constituent with one of their relata, usually with the dependent. This can be represented as follows: (12) [dependent [R]]…[head]…[[R] dependent] […].
- Dik (1989), a pag.339-340