complementem

Complementem is a term that appears in Latin-language grammatical discussions to denote a complement, the element that completes the meaning of a clause or sentence. It is derived from the Latin noun complementum, which conveys the idea of something that fills out or completes. In scholarly usage, complementem can appear as the form used to reference the concept within analyses of Latin syntax, rather than as a common, everyday vocabulary form in typical Latin prose.

In Latin grammar, a complement is described as something that completes the sense of a verb, adjective, or noun beyond what a modifier alone provides. Complements contrast with modifiers, which add attributes or descriptions but do not fulfill the verb’s required sense. Depending on the construction, a complement can express a direct object, a state, a result, or an attribute associated with the subject or predicate. The precise labeling and classification of Latin complements have varied across grammarians and periods, reflecting different approaches to how sentences are structured and interpreted.

Beyond Latin, the broader concept of a complement is widespread in linguistics and related fields. In modern grammar and logic, a complement refers to any element that completes the meaning of a predicate or structure, such as a direct object, object predicative, or complement clause. The Latin term complementem thus illustrates how historical and cross-linguistic terminology converges on a shared idea: that certain elements are essential to the full interpretation of a statement.

See also: complement (linguistics), predicate, direct object, set-theoretic complement.