attibutive

Attibutive is not a standard term in linguistics or grammar; it is commonly a misspelling of the word attributive. In linguistic usage, attributive describes elements that modify a noun as part of the noun phrase, attributing a property to that noun. The key distinction is often between attributive modifiers and predicative modifiers: attributive modifiers occur inside the noun phrase and directly describe the noun, while predicative modifiers appear outside the noun phrase, typically after a linking verb.

In English, attributive adjectives are placed before the noun they modify. For example, in the phrase the red ball, red is an attributive adjective within the noun phrase. By contrast, in The ball is red, red functions as a predicative adjective following the copular verb is. Determiners (such as the, a, this) and other pre-nominal modifiers commonly serve attributive roles within noun phrases.

Cross-linguistic variation can affect attributive placement. Some languages allow or require adjectives or other modifiers to follow the noun, or to appear in different sequences relative to determiners and nouns. Attributive elements can also include noun modifiers in compound noun phrases (such as a coffee cup or student council) where the modifying noun directly limits the head noun.

Etymology and usage notes: the term derives from Latin attributivus, meaning relating to attributing. In most contemporary grammars, discussions of attribution focus on attributive adjectives, determiners, and other modifiers that form part of the noun phrase, as opposed to predicative predicates that follow linking verbs.

See also: attributive adjective, attributive determiner, noun phrase, predicative adjective.