the worthless word for the day is: syncategorem

[ad. L. syncategorema, a. Gk.]
Logic

a word which cannot be used by itself as a term, but
only in conjunction with another word or words: e.g.
a sign of quantity (as all, some, no), or an adverb,
preposition, or conjunction; hence syncategorematic,
of the nature of a syncategorem, also in extended uses
in linguistic analysis

"In another sense, "sign" means that which makes us
know something else, and either is able itself to
stand for it, or can be added in a proposition to what
is able to stand for something -- such are the
syncategorematic words and the verbs and the other
parts of a proposition which have no definite
signfication -- or is such at to be composed of things
of this sort, e.g., a sentence."
- P. Boehner, Philosophical Writings (of Occam)

"Syncategorematic words are, roughly, those which give
the sentence its form, or logical constants -- but, if,
and, every, some, however, etc." - Cosma Shalizi
 contrast categorematic

can someone give a semiotician's view of the significance of this, in layman's terms (if that's even possible)?