cleavage (linguistics)

In linguistics, "cleavage" refers to the way languages organize or categorize information within words or sentence structures to express relationships or functions. It often involves dividing a sentence into parts to highlight specific information, such as emphasizing the subject or object. For example, in English, a cleft sentence like "It is the dog that chased the cat" emphasizes "the dog." Essentially, cleavage involves structuring language to clarify meaning or focus, helping speakers and listeners understand the roles of different elements in communication.