Re: THEORY: Left- & Rightbranching languages? (was: THEORY: Connections ...)

I too have been trying to find a good definition of "branching" but I've
never been able to find one.

I think I'm beginning to form an opinion from all the uses I've seen, but
even your definition doesn't quite define it for me. Perhaps it wasn't
appropiate to go into too much detail at first.

I think I understand branching from a noun. Adjectives and relative clauses
can go before or after nouns left of the noun is left branching, right of
it is right branching, right?

I'm not sure that I understand "head" here. Can a head be a verb too? Are
we talking about describing functions in language. Adverbs can come before
or after verbs.

Does branching also refer to the order of subject verb object, does it
refer to modal verbs and verb patterns? Modal verbs you will note overlay
their meaning on the verb that follows in English (some would argue the
whole sentence.)Is this branching?

There is so much talk of branching out there that there really ought to be
a good definition.