Construct · 3 fields · 3 citations

Where does surface collide?

One name. Different field. Different construct. One map.

● jingle · one word, three constructs Nearest construct by meaning·not indexed
surface3 CONSTRUCTSSurface structureCHOMSKY · 1965Surface (2-manifold)MUNKRES · TWO-MANIFOLDSurface / interfaceATKINS · PHASE INTERFACE

Spokes are fields; dashed arcs are shared lineage. Tap a field for its definition, unit, and measures.

2026

Drag to watch the word get claimed. Each field appears at the publication date of the earliest source cited for it. Tap a year to see which.

Linguistics

The outward form a sentence finally takes

In generative linguistics the surface structure is the outward syntactic form of a sentence as it is actually pronounced, derived by transformations from an underlying deep structure that carries its basic grammatical relations. Chomsky's Aspects of the Theory of Syntax introduced the deep-structure/surface-structure distinction as central to transformational grammar. The referent is a level of syntactic representation, the final arranged form of a sentence, and it has nothing to do with a mathematical two-dimensional manifold or the boundary of a physical phase beyond the shared image of what is outermost.[1]

Unit
The derived, pronounced syntactic form of a sentence
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Read off the actual word order and form of the sentence after transformations apply

Topology

A space that looks locally like the plane

In topology and geometry a surface is a two-dimensional manifold: a space in which every point has a neighbourhood that looks like a patch of the ordinary plane, such as a sphere, a torus, or a Möbius band. Munkres's Topology develops manifolds and the tools used to classify such surfaces. The referent is an abstract two-dimensional space studied up to continuous deformation, a formal object unrelated to a sentence's syntactic form or the interface of a liquid except for the everyday notion of a two-dimensional extent.[2]

Unit
A two-dimensional manifold (locally Euclidean space)
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Classified by invariants such as genus, orientability, and Euler characteristic

Physical chemistry

The boundary layer between two phases

In physical chemistry a surface is the boundary region between two phases, such as a liquid and the air above it, where molecules sit in a different environment from the bulk and give rise to surface tension, adsorption, and surface energy. Atkins and de Paula's Atkins' Physical Chemistry treats these interfacial phenomena and the thermodynamics of surfaces. The referent is a physical interfacial layer with its own measurable energetics, a concrete boundary between phases that is distinct from a syntactic level or an abstract manifold, sharing only the meaning of an outer boundary.[3]

Unit
The interfacial region between two phases, with its own energy per area
Recovery means
Not applicable
Measured by
Quantified by surface tension or surface energy and by adsorption at the interface

Next

Run it through the Collider, or take the citations with you.

See how surface sits against neighbouring constructs in the Collider, or export every reference on this page in one click.

Open in ColliderExport BibTeXReport this collision

Nearby collisions

boundary4 fields · 4 citationsjingle · one word, four constructsbulk2 fields · 2 citationsjingle · one word, two constructsinterface2 fields · 2 citationsjingle · one word, two constructs

References

  1. Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the theory of syntax. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262530071
  2. Munkres, J. R. (2000). Topology (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780131816299
  3. Atkins, P., & de Paula, J. (2014). Atkins' physical chemistry (10th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199697403

Cited on this page?

Confirm your construct, or correct us.

If your work is cited behind one of these entries, you know better than we do whether we captured the meaning right. Confirm it, suggest an edit, or dispute it, and your name goes on the entry as an author who has checked it, linked to your ORCID.

Claim your construct