Prediktiivisiä

Prediktiivisiä is an inflectional plural form referring to predikatiiviset lauseenjäseniä in Finnish grammar. The term describes elements that complete a copular sentence, naming or describing the subject rather than the object. Prediktiiviset can express identity, classification, description, or attribute of the subject, and they accompany linking verbs such as olla (to be) and, in some constructions, other copular verbs like tuntua or näyttää.

Prediktiivisiä can be noun-based, adjective-based, pronoun-based, or numeral in function. Typical predicative forms include nouns or pronouns that rename the subject (Hän on opettaja), adjectives that describe the subject (Kissa on musta), or numerals that classify it (Lintu on kaksi). In Finnish, predikatiiviset often remain in their base form after the copula and do not agree with the subject in case or number in the same way as attributive modifiers might. They appear after the linking verb and are semantically linked to the subject rather than the object.

In linguistic practice, predikatiiviset are contrasted with attributive elements that directly modify the subject within the noun phrase. They are a standard component of Finnish clause structure and are described in grammar as predikatiivinen lauseenjäs, or predikatiiviset lauseenjäseniä, indicating their role as predicate complements. The term predikatiivinen is rooted in traditional grammar and parallels similar concepts in other languages, where a predicate complements or predicatives complete the meaning of a copular verb.