In
linguistics,
verb valency or
valence refers to the number of
arguments controlled by a verbal
predicate. It is related, though not identical, to verb
transitivity, which counts only
object arguments of the verbal predicate. Verb valency, on the other hand, includes all arguments, including the
subject of the verb. The linguistic meaning of valence derives from the definition of
valency in
chemistry. This
scientific metaphor is due to
Lucien Tesnière, who developed verb valency into a major component of his (what would later become known as)
dependency grammar theory of syntax and grammar. The notion of valency first appeared as a comprehensive concept in Tesnière's posthumously published book (1959)
Éléments de syntaxe structurale (Elements of structural syntax).