subjectus

Subjectus is a term used in philosophy and linguistics to denote the bearer of attributes in predication or the epistemic agent in knowledge claims. Although not common in everyday English, it appears as a Latinized label for subjecthood in scholarly discussions.

The form derives from Latin subicere, with the past participle subjectus meaning “placed under” or “subjected.” In intellectual contexts, subjectus is sometimes employed to discuss the relationship between subject and predicate, or the subject of experience, i.e., the knower in epistemology.

Historically, subjectus appears in medieval and Renaissance Latin texts dealing with logic and grammar. In modern scholarship, the term is not widely used, and when it is, it tends to serve as a reference to Latin terminology or as a device in comparative philosophy to discuss subjectivity without committing to a specific contemporary label.

In practice, subjectus can be contrasted with terms for the thing acted upon or observed, such as objectus, within discussions of subject–object relations. The concept remains closely related to debates on subjectivity, intentionality, and predication, and is chiefly encountered in theoretical discussions that seek to connect Latin linguistic and philosophical vocabulary with modern thought.

See also: subject, object, subjectivity, predication, Latin terminology.