Our world is subject to constant change. Something is always “happening”. Whether in the realm of nature, technology or culture: everywhere we look, we can observe sequences, processes or events that imply changes in state. How can such changes be described scientifically?
Hylemes play an important role in such a description. Hylemes are “the minimal state- or action-bearing units” of events, i.e. of changes in state. Hylistics can therefore be used not only to reconstruct, analyse and compare (sequences of events in) narratives, but also sequences of events in general.
The terms “hyleme” and “hylistics” are derived from the ancient Greek word hӯlē (ὕλη), which means, among other things, “matter” or “building material”. A hyleme is the minimal ‘building block’ in a sequence of events, analogous to terms such as morpheme or phoneme, which similarly refer to the smallest grammatical or phonetic units of language.
5.1 Definition of “event”
An event is a sequence of changes that can be expressed in language and can be analysed in the form of minimal state- or action-bearing units, i.e. hylemes, as hyleme sequences.
Analysis of events = analysis of changes:
Every event in nature, every technical sequence or process, but also every narrative sequence describing such events, is composed of individual steps that imply changes: first A happens, then B, then C, and so on.
Changes are defined by a combination of states and actions. Every single change of state consists of exactly three hylemes. First, state A prevails; then at least one factor changes; this change leads to state B:
Change = state A + action, leading to ➔ state B.
Therefore an analysis of events, which is in fact an analysis of changes, consists of an analysis of combinations of states and actions.
5.2 Analysis of events
A precise reconstruction and description of (sequences of) events as combinations of states and actions can be achieved by referring to the minimal state- or action-bearing units of such combinations, the hylemes.
In order to provide a complete and precise description of sequences of events that imply changes, two ‚classes‘ of hylemes are required:
(1) hylemes that describe states, and
(2) hylemes that describe actions.
Example of a sequence of events
„After reading pages 110 to 120 of the book, Lian closes the book again and puts it back on the table.“
Analysis 1: Incomplete and imprecise analysis of the sequence of events (= only a paraphrase of the text):
- ➢ Lian reads the book from page 110 to page 120.
- ➢ Lian closes the book.
- ➢ Lian puts the book back on the table.
Problems:
- no consideration of implicit hylemes
- no consideration of state-bearing hylemes
Analysis 2: Complete and precise analysis of the sequence of events (state-bearing units in italics):
- ➢ The book is on the table.
- ➢ The book is lying closed on the table.
- ➢ Lian takes the book from the table.
- ➢ Lian holds the book (in her hands).
- ➢ Lian opens the book.
- ➢ The book is open.
- ➢ Lian turns to page 110.
- ➢ Lian is on page 110.
- ➢ Lian reads up to page 120.
- ➢ Lian is on page 120.
- ➢ Lian closes the book again.
- ➢ The book is closed.
- ➢ Lian puts the book back on the table.
- ➔ For the method of reconstruction see: hyleme analysis