substantiiivi

Substantiiivi is a linguistic term for the noun, a word class that names people, places, things, or abstract ideas. In many languages substantiiivi form the central part of noun phrases and typically appear as the subject or the object of verbs. They are often modified by determiners, adjectives, or numerals, and they commonly participate in agreement within sentences.

Morphology and usage vary by language. Nouns frequently inflect for number (singular or plural) and for grammatical case, and in some languages they also mark gender. Some languages use articles or demonstratives to indicate definiteness, while others rely on word order or context. The noun’s form often determines how adjectives and verbs agree with it in a phrase or clause.

Subtypes and distinctions are common in noun systems. Common versus proper nouns distinguish general items from specific names (for example, city vs Paris). Nouns can be count nouns or mass/uncountable nouns. They may be concrete or abstract, and animate or inanimate. Some languages also include collective nouns, which denote a group.

Syntax and semantics: Nouns typically head noun phrases and can function as subjects, direct objects, or objects of prepositions. They can form compound nouns and participate in derivation through affixes or compounding. In gendered languages, substantiiivi may agree with adjectives and verbs in gender or other features; in non-gendered languages, agreement may be limited to number.

Etymology and cross-linguistic notes: The term traces to Latin substantivum, meaning “substantive” or “noun,” with cognates appearing in many European languages. Substantiiivi is used in some linguistic traditions to refer to this word class.