Predicative (/prɪˈdɪkətɪv/) is a word used in grammar to describe a part of a sentence that provides information about the subject. The spelling of predicative can be explained using International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. The first syllable is pronounced with a short "i" sound represented by /ɪ/. The second syllable has a long "e" sound represented by /eɪ/. The third syllable is pronounced with a short "u" sound represented by /ə/. The final syllable is pronounced with a short "i" sound represented by /ɪv/.
Predicative is an adjective that originates from the word "predicate," which refers to a grammatical term that expresses the action or state of being of the subject in a sentence. As a result, when something is described as predicative, it usually means that it functions as a predicate or possesses characteristics associated with being a predicate.
In a linguistic sense, predicative is used to describe a word or phrase that follows a linking verb and completes the meaning by providing information about the subject. This type of construction is often found in sentences using copular verbs such as "is," "are," "was," or "were." For example, in the sentence "She is kind," the word "kind" is predicative as it complements or predicts the quality of the subject "she."
Moreover, predicative can also denote a style of adjectives or adverbs that modify a noun or verb by predicating or asserting something about it. Predicative adjectives typically follow the noun they modify, such as "She wore a dress beautiful in design." In this context, "beautiful in design" is a predicative phrase that describes the dress.
In summary, the term "predicative" relates to the function and form of predicates in sentence structure. Whether it pertains to verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, predicative elements serve to complete the meaning, provide information, or assert something about the subject or object.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "predicative" comes from the Latin term "praedicativus", derived from the verb "praedicare", meaning "to proclaim" or "to declare". The Latin word is composed of "prae" (pre-, before) and "dicare" (to say or to tell). It originally referred to something that is "proclaimed" or "stated" about the subject of a sentence. The term was later adopted in English, and its meaning expanded to encompass a grammatical function that describes the quality or attribute of the subject in a sentence.