Volume 12 · Issue 5 · October 2025
Tagmemic Theory
Beri Yaseen Hussein, Sabah Rashid Qadir, Atif Abdullah Farhadi
This research which is entitled (Tagmemic Theory), Tagmemic is a Theory of language developed by American Linguist “Kenneth L. Pike” in the beginning of 1950. It is a Functionalist approach to language analysis that views Language as a system of interrelated parts, or Tagmemes. A Tagmeme is a unit of Language that Consist of two parts: a (Slot) and (Fillers). The Slot is the Function that the Tagmeme fills in a larger unit of Language, such as a Sentence or Paragraph. This theory is based on certain assumptions and principles, chief among which is the assumption that language is an integral part of man's total behavior, Language occurs in context. The filler is the specific form that can occupy the slot, such as a noun, verb, or phrase. Tagmemics is a Hierarchical Theory meaning that tagmemes can be combined to form larger Tagmemes, and it consists of units within units. Smaller units are contained in larger ones in hierarchical levels. for example a noun phrase, which is a Tagmeme itself, can fill the Slot of Subject in a sentence, which is a larger Tagmeme. Tagmemics is a powerful tool for analyzing language because it can be used to describe the structure of languages of all types, from simple to complex.
