Polish and Latin Causal Conjunctions

Abstract

The aim of the present article is to point to certain similarities and certain differences occurring between Latin and Polish causal conjunctions that may show the relations that there are between the parataxis and the hypotaxis in a little different light. The difference between Latin and Polish causal conjunctions consists in the fact that all Polish ones are hypotactic, whereas in Latin, besides hypotactic also such causal conjunctions occur that are considered as paratactic. On the other hand, the similarity consists in the fact that both in Latin and in Polish there are causal conjunctions connecting clauses, that may be used in whichever order, as well as ones that, when they occur along with a causal clause, have to appear in the second place. Since in Latin such a difference occurs exactly between paratactic and hypotactic conjunctions, maybe the limitations as to the order, or a lack of them, could be used as a criterion that can be useful for distinguishing paratactic causal clauses from hypotactic ones.