adjectiefische

Adjectiefische is a neologistic Dutch term used in some niche linguistic discussions to refer to a subset of adjectives that express properties commonly associated with a class rather than with individual members. The word blends adjectief (adjective) with a suffix pattern reminiscent of the -isch form found in Germanic languages, signaling a characteristic belonging to a category. Because it is not part of standard Dutch grammar or widely documented in dictionaries, adjectiefische appears mainly in limited academic or exploratory writings and its exact scope can vary by author.

Definition and scope

In practice, adjectiefische adjectives describe category-level properties, often through metaphorical extension or derivational processes from nominal bases that name a class. They may encode a property typical of a whole category rather than a property of a specific item. For example, a term like visachtig (fish-like) attributes a typical quality of fish to a referent, while stadachtig (city-like) suggests urban features. Such adjectives are frequently discussed in relation to semantic extension, polysemy, and the way language maps category schemas onto descriptive terms.

Relation to other concepts

Adjectiefische sits at the intersection of attributive and predicative adjectives and is closely tied to metaphor and metonymy in semantics. It is distinct from ordinary adjective formation and from strict category predicates, because it foregrounds cross-category properties and often relies on figurative interpretation.

Notes

The term remains informal and not widely standardized. When used, it should be clearly defined in context to avoid ambiguity. See also: adjectives, metaphor, semantic extension, attributive language.