nitelendirici

Nitelendirici is a Turkish term used in linguistics to refer to elements that describe or qualify a noun. It denotes descriptive or qualifying properties. The word is formed from the verb nitelendirmek (to describe or qualify) with the participial suffix -ici, and it can function as both an adjective and, in some contexts, a noun meaning “describer” or “descriptive term.” In Turkish grammar it is commonly associated with descriptive adjectives (nitelendirici sıfatlar) that specify qualities such as color, size, or age and thereby characterize the noun rather than identify it.

In usage, nitelendirici elements typically occur before the noun they modify: kırmızı elbise (red dress), büyük ev (large house). They answer questions of kind or quality (ne tür? nasıl?). They can be simple adjectives or part of a longer descriptive phrase, and they serve to convey characteristics that help distinguish one noun from another.

Classification and terminology can vary by grammar tradition. Some approaches treat nitelendirici as a subtype of adjective (sıfat) that expresses quality, while others use it as a broader label for descriptive content, including certain participial constructions (sıfat-fiil) that function descriptively. In education, dictionaries, and linguistic analyses, the term emphasizes the descriptive, qualifying function of these expressions rather than their numeration or identification. English equivalents include “descriptive” or “qualifying descriptor.”