Modular rewriting seeks criteria under which rewrite systems inherit properties from their smaller subsystems. This divide and conquer methodology is particularly useful for reasoning about large systems where other techniques fail to scale adequately. Research has typically focused on reasoning about the modularity of specific properties for specific ways of combining specific forms of rewriting.

This paper is, we believe, the first to ask a much more general question. Namely, what can be said about modularity independently of the specific form of rewriting, combination and property at hand. A priori there is no reason to believe that anything can actually be said about modularity without reference to the specifics of the particular systems etc. However, this paper shows that, quite surprisingly, much can indeed be said.