Melléknévleges

Melléknévleges is a term used in Hungarian linguistics to refer to adjectives and adjective-like forms. It describes words whose core function is to modify nouns by expressing properties, characteristics, origin, material, or relation. The category encompasses native adjectives as well as forms derived from other parts of speech that function as adjectives, including participial adjectives formed from verbs and certain noun-derived adjectives.

Morphology and formation operate through standard Hungarian adjective processes. Many melléknévleges form their comparative and superlative degrees with the ordinary degree-formation patterns, such as -abb/-ebb for the comparative and the prefix leg- for the superlative (for example, nagy → nagyobb → legnagyobb; szép → szebb → legszebb). Adjective forms typically precede the noun in attributive position and can appear in predicative position after linking verbs.

Syntactically, melléknévleges behave like adjectives: they do not inflect for gender, and their primary role is to attribute properties to nouns, though they can also fulfill predicative functions. They may participate in adverbial modification when used in certain constructions that express degree or intensity.

Relation to other terms: the category is closely related to melléknév (the basic noun class of adjectives) and to melléknévi igenév (participles), which are verb-derived forms that take on adjective-like roles. The term melléknévleges provides a broad umbrella for discussing adjective-like elements, their forms, and their semantic and syntactic behavior within Hungarian grammar.