predicator

Predicator is a term used in linguistics to refer to the verbal element of a clause that carries its predication. In many frameworks, the predicator is the head of the predicate and is realized by the verb group, including any auxiliary verbs, and it may carry information about tense, aspect, mood, voice, and polarity. The predicator works together with the predicand, the entity about which something is asserted, to form a complete clause.

In functional and systemic approaches, the predicator is often described as the process or state described by the clause. For example, in the sentence “The cat chased the mouse,” the predicator is the verb that encodes the action (and any auxiliaries that accompany it), while “the cat” serves as the predicand. In copular constructions like “The sky is blue,” the predicator can be identified with the copular verb and its relationship to the predicand complement.

The term is most commonly used in certain grammatical traditions, such as systemic-functional grammar, where the clause is analyzed in terms of functional components rather than purely morphological categories. Other traditions may simply refer to the entire verb phrase or the predicate, but predicator specifically highlights the central role of the verbal element in predication.

Cross-linguistically, predicators can vary in their composition. Some languages encode tense, aspect, or mood through auxiliary sequences that become part of the predicator, while others rely on non-verbal predicates or adjectives in the predicator position. Despite terminology differences, the basic idea remains: the predicator is the verbal core that asserts something about the subject or predicand of the clause.