Predikatiivse

Predikatiivse is a term used in Estonian linguistics to refer to a predicative construction in which a word or phrase functions as the predicate of a sentence alongside a copular verb, such as olema (to be). The base form predikatiivne means predicative and describes elements that express the state or identity of the subject rather than an action performed by it.

In Estonian syntax, the predicative element can be a noun, an adjective, or a pronoun that completes the meaning of the clause after a copular verb (for example, Ta on arst, “He is a doctor,” where arst acts as the predicative). In normal declarative sentences, predicatives typically appear in the nominative case, while the term predikatiivse appears in grammatical descriptions as the genitive singular form of predikatiivne or of phrases such as predikatiivse omaduse or predikatiivse lause in linguistic notes. These genitive forms are used mainly in academic discussion to indicate properties, attributes, or relations of predicatives rather than to illustrate ordinary speech.

Predikatiivse is therefore a specialised inflected form encountered in linguistic analysis rather than a frequently used everyday form. It helps describers distinguish between predikatiivse constructions and other grammatical functions like attributive adjectives or subjects in different cases. The concept is closely related to, but distinct from, predikatiivne (predicative) and predikatiivne lause (predicative clause), and it appears most often in grammars, textbooks, and corpus annotations.