10 Stanley E. Porter and Matthew Brook O’Donnell tions that function at all of the levels of discourse. These include perhaps only καί, δέ, and some of the negative conjunctions, such as οὐδέ and μηδέ. All of the rest of the conjunctions are more circumscribed in the linguistic levels that they may conjoin. b. Horizontal Axis of Continuity–Discontinuity As noted above, there are two major horizontal axes to the Greek conjunction system. The first of these is the horizontal axis of continuity and discontinuity. The procedural nature of conjunctions is seen best with this category. These conjunctions contribute the least semantic significance to the discourse, but are concerned with linking the dis- course together in either a continuous or discontinuous way. The cline of continuity–discontinuity extends from the least marked conjunction used simply to provide for continuous discourse, through those conjunctions that introduce increasing discontinuousness, to those that are the most discontinuous, adversatives. This cline of the horizontal axis of continuity–discontinuity can be expressed in this way: καί τέ τότε δέ μέν οὖν γάρ ἀλλά πλήν ὅμως ἤ οὐδέ οὔτε μηδέ μήτε This cline moves from the least marked and most continuous (perhaps better, least discontinuous) conjunction, καί, to the most marked and dis- continuous form, negative conjunctions23. The cline of continuity–discon- tinuity moves from the most continuous (καί, τέ) to those that introduce increasing degrees of discontinuity, growing from low (τέ τότε) to mid (δέ, μέν, οὖν, γάρ) to high (ἀλλά, πλήν, ὅμως) levels of discontinuity, and then an alternative (ἤ) and finally negation. Negative conjunctions are the most heavily marked of the continuity–discontinuity conjunctions, as they indicate a significant interruption in the continuity of discourse by negating the individual element. καί is the least semantically distinct conjunction, and indicates continuity within the context. One of the debates in discussion of καί as a conjunction is whether there is such a thing as so-called adversative καί. Black has a highly informative discussion of the question of whether there is such a con- This roughly follows the order of the frequency of appearance of the conjunctions, 23 but is modified by other factors, including markedness factors and semantics, so that, for example, conjunctions indicating continuity appear to the left and discontinuity to the right on the cline. The frequency figures are a follows: καί (9161x), τέ (215x), τότε (160x), δέ (2792x), μέν (179x), οὖν (499x), γάρ (1041x), ἀλλά (638x), πλήν (31x), ὅμως (3x), ἤ (343x), οὐδέ (143x), οὔτε (187x), μηδέ (56x), μήτε (43x).