Alanyállítmány

Alanyállítmány refers to a grammatical construction in Hungarian linguistics. It describes a situation where the subject of a main clause is also the predicate of that clause. This occurs primarily in sentences that express identity or classification.

A common example involves the use of the verb "van" (to be) in its third-person singular form, "van," or its absence, especially in the present tense. For instance, in the sentence "Péter orvos" (Peter is a doctor), "Péter" is the subject, and "orvos" is the predicate. Here, the subject and predicate refer to the same entity or category, making it an alanyállítmány. The structure is essentially Subject + Predicate, where the predicate defines or identifies the subject.

This construction is distinct from cases where the predicate describes a characteristic or state of the subject. In an alanyállítmány, the predicate is a noun or noun phrase that equates to the subject. The verb "van" might be implied or explicitly stated, depending on the tense and context. Understanding alanyállítmány is crucial for comprehending Hungarian sentence structure and the nuances of expressing identity and classification. It highlights how the language prioritizes the relationship between the subject and its defining predicate.