adjektív

Adjektív is a linguistic term used to describe a word class whose members modify nouns or noun phrases, expressing properties, qualities, or categories such as color, size, origin, or mood. In many languages the adjective is treated as a distinct part of speech alongside nouns, verbs, and other categories. The word is cognate with the Latin adjectivus and with terms in various languages that denote the same grammatical category.

Morphology and inflection vary by language. In strongly inflected languages, adjectives often agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case, producing forms like a blue car, a blue cars, or blue cars in different cases. Some languages also mark degree, creating positive, comparative, and superlative forms. In languages with limited agreement, adjectives may resemble invariable words or rely on periphrastic comparison (more beautiful, the most beautiful).

Syntax and function are also diverse. Adjectives can be attributive, occurring directly before or after the noun (the red apple), or predicative, appearing in a linking-verb clause (the apple is red). They may modify a single noun or participate in longer modifiers, such as adjective phrases or participial adjectives. In some languages, adjectives can function as predicates without a linking verb, while in others they require a copular verb.

Cross-linguistic variation is common: some languages use adjectives that closely track noun gender and case, others have little or no agreement, and word order can determine emphasis or meaning. Although the basic idea is universal—describing properties of nouns—the exact behavior of adjektív forms and syntax differs across language families.