Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

Dictionary of language and linguistics 930(except wh-questions) and imperatives, otherwise after the subject. Communicatively,the predicate usually refers to new, unknown information, in contrast to the subject,which generally refers to known or previously mentioned information ( theme vsrheme, topic vs comment).The predicate is not the same thing as the verb phrase in generativetransformational grammar, since, unlike the VP, in the tree diagram it dominates notonly the verb, but also all elements ( objects) dependent on the verb. ( also part ofspeech, subject vs predicate)2 In formal logic, especially predicate logic, the linguistic expression which, togetherwith the expressions for the arguments, forms a proposition. The following expressionsare (logical) predicates: (a) x sleeps/x is young/x was an atheist/x are reassured/x isthirsty; (b) x is younger than y/x loves y; (c) x lies between y and z/x points to y through z.Depending on the number of positions for arguments, predicates in (a) are one-place(they indicate characteristics of their argument), those in (b) and (c) are multi-place (theyexpress relations between arguments). Generative semantics is based on this definitionof predicate.3 semantic primitivepredicate calculuspredicate logicpredicate clauseDependent clause which fulfills the syntactic function of a predicate noun: He’s likehe’s always been.predicate logic (also predicate calculus)In formal logic, a theoretical system for describing the inner structure of propositions.While propositional logic only analyzes the meaning of logical connectives in truthfunctionalpropositions based on the truth values of the propositional clauses, predicatelogic differs in that it analyzes the internal make-up of propositions and expands on themby introducing generalized propositions (existential propositions and universalpropositions). Predicates in the logical sense assign properties to individuals. Simplepropositions consist of names for individuals and predicates, wherein a distinction isdrawn between one-place and multi-place predicates, cf. Philip daydreams (one-place) vsPhilip is giving Caroline a book (three-place). Simple propositions can be expanded by