Tagmemic grammar is a theory developed by Kenneth Pike that analyzes the smallest meaningful units of grammar called tagmemes. A tagmeme can consist of one or more taxemes, which are grammatical features that convey formal and functional information. There are four main types of taxemes: selection, order, modulation, and phonetic modification. Analyzing utterances into their constituent tagmemes and taxemes allows grammatical forms to be fully described.

1. TAGMEMIC GRAMMAR
Reporter: ROSALIE ANN I. UNTALAN
Tagmeme is the smallest meaningful unit of
grammatical form.
Tagmemic Grammar is a theory of grammar
involving concept of a tagmeme to convey
formal and functional information
developed by American Grammarian
Kenneth L. Pike.

2. T
A
G
M
E  Tagmeme is the smallest meaningful unit of grammatical form and
M their meanings are called episememes.
I Example:
Run!
C This contains two grammatical features (taxemes) namely; the
modulation of exclamatory final pitch, and the selective feature
which consists in the use of an infinitive verb.
G
R Each of these two taxemes happens to be, in English, a tactic form,
since each is currently used as a unit of signaling.
A Taking each of them with it’s meaning we describe them as units of
M grammatical form (tagmemes).
M The tagmeme of exclamatory final-pitch occurs with any lexical form &
gives it a grammatical meaning (an episememe) which we may call
A a class-meaning and roughly define as ‘action’.
R

3. T
A
G
M
E A tagmeme may consist of more than one taxeme.
M Examples:
I John ran
poor John ran away In these examples
C the boys are here we find several taxemes
I know
G John, poor John, the boys, I
R
A Belong to the form-class of Nominative Expression
M ran, ran away, are here, know
M
A Belong to the form-class of infinitive expressions.
R

4. T
A
G
M
E
M Types of Taxeme (by Bloomfield)
I 1. Taxeme of Selection- assigns certain finite
C verb expression to certain nominative
expression.
G 2. Taxeme of Order places the nominative
R expression before finite verb expression.
A 3. Taxeme of Modulation which made use of
M secondary phonemes
M 4. Taxeme of Phonetic Modification – a
A change in the primary phonemes of a form.
R

5. 1. Taxeme of Selection- assigns certain finite verb expression to
certain nominative expression.
Selection of forms contributes factor of meaning because different form
in what is otherwise the same grammatical arrangement, will result
in different meanings.
Examples:
John!
Boy!
Run!
Jump!
Mr. Smith!
Run Away!

6. Taxeme of Order places the nominative expression before
finite verb expression.
Examples:
Bill hit John.
*Bill John hit.
playing
*ing-play
duchess
*ess-duke

7. Taxeme of Modulation which made use of secondary phonemes
Secondary morphemes, we recall, are morphemes which do not
appear in any morphemes, but only in grammatical
arrangement of morphemes. A morpheme like John or run is
really an abstraction because any actual utterance the
morpheme is accompanied by some secondary phoneme which
conveys a grammatical meaning. In English, if the morpheme
is spoken alone, it is accompanied by some secondary
phoneme of pitch.
Examples:
John!
John?
John.
Some of the constituents are always accompanied by secondary
phonemes of stress.
Examples:
Noun convict
Verb convict

8. Taxeme of Phonetic Modification – a change in
the primary phonemes of a form.
Examples:
do [duw] and not [nat]
don’t [downt]
duke [djuwk]
duchess [dočes]

9. T
A
G
M
E
M If we say John ran! with exclamatory
I pitch, we have a complex
C
grammatical form, with three
tagmemes.
G - ‘strong stimulus’
R -’(object) performs (action)’
A - the episememes of ‘complete and
M novel’ utterance and consists formally
M in the selective feature using an
A actor-action phrase as a sentence.
R

10. T
A
G
M
E
M If we say John ran! with exclamatory
I pitch, we have a complex
C
grammatical form, with three
tagmemes.
G - ‘strong stimulus’
R -’(object) performs (action)’
A - the episememes of ‘complete and
M novel’ utterance and consists formally
M in the selective feature using an
A actor-action phrase as a sentence.
R