Adjektivisches

Adjektivisches is a term used in German linguistics to refer to the adjectival domain—the class of adjectives and adjective-like elements within a language. It concerns how words with adjective semantics function, inflect, and interact with nouns and the broader sentence structure.

In German grammar, adjectives primarily modify nouns and can occur in attributive or predicative positions. Attributive adjectives accompany a noun and carry inflectional endings that reflect the noun’s case, gender, and number as well as the determiner present. For example, in ein schönes Haus, the ending -es signals neuter singular with a strong determin­er. Predicative adjectives appear after linking verbs (Das Haus ist schön) and typically show less or different inflection.

The concept of ad­jektivisches also covers adjectival morphologies and usage beyond simple modification. It includes the patterns of adjective declension (strong, weak, mixed) and how these interact with determiners, pronouns, and numerals. In some contexts, adjectives can function in a nominalized, or adjectival-nominal, manner: das Große, das Schöne. In such cases the adjective is capitalized and behaves syntactically like a noun.

Cross-linguistically, the notion of adjectival forms or adjectives is common, with terms such as adjectival, adjective, or Adjektiv in various languages. In German linguistic description, adjektivisches serves as a broad label for topics related to adjective form, function, and related phenomena such as comparative/superlative forms and gradability.

See also: Adjektiv, Deklination der Adjektive, Adjektivische Nominalisierung.