Abstract
This paper analyzes coordinate concessive constructions in German. The data are drawn from a large corpus of written contemporary texts. Purely concessive connectives such as trotzdem, dennoch or gleichwohl 'nevertheless' are distinguished from connectives having a general adversative meaning (e.g. aber 'but') or a primarily temporal meaning (e.g. nach alledem 'after all'). These connectives will be analyzed with respect to their etymology, their grammaticalization and their frequency in different types of texts. Coordinate constructions can be viewed as non-prototypical, but indispensable, means of expressing concessivity. In fact, coordinate connectives can fulfil a variety of functions. Not only are they used as connecting devices for two main clauses, but they also appear in subordinate constructions: here, they have the following functions: they serve to reinforce the contents of a subordinate clause which already contains a concessive subjunction (e.g. obwohl ... dennoch 'although ... nevertheless'), make explicit the concessive meaning of a clause which otherwise has no concessive meaning (und ... dennoch 'and ... nevertheless'), or even serve as a concessive subjunction themselves (trotzdem 'although')
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