Linkage

Noun

1. A mechanical device that connects things.

   "A linkage in my car's transmission is broken so I can't shift out of first gear."

2. A connection or relation between things or ideas.
3. The act or result of linking: the combination of multiple object files into one executable, library, or object file.
4. The property of genes of being inherited together.
5. A set of definitely related languages for which no proto-language can be derived, typically a group of languages within a family that have formed a sprachbund.