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Nominative Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

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nominative

[ˈnɒm.ɪ.nə.tɪv ]

Definition

Context #1 | Noun

grammar term

Nominative refers to the grammatical case used for a subject of a verb. In many languages, including English, the nominative case is typically associated with the subject of a sentence, indicating who or what is performing the action. It's fundamental in the formation of sentences and is commonly taught in language studies.

Synonyms

nominative case, subject case.

Examples of usage

  • In the sentence 'The dog barks', 'The dog' is in the nominative case.
  • In Latin, the nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence.
  • Different languages have different rules for forming the nominative case.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Grammar

  • In many languages, the nominative case is the first case beginners learn, as it is crucial for identifying the subject.
  • In languages like German and Russian, nouns take different forms based on their grammatical role, but the nominative remains the form for the subject.
  • The nominative case often answers the question 'Who?' or 'What?' in a sentence.

Language Learning

  • Understanding the nominative case can help in constructing sentences correctly, as it clarifies who is performing the action.
  • Many language tutors emphasize the importance of mastering the nominative case as a stepping stone to more complex grammar.

Cognitive Science

  • Research suggests that the way languages encode nominative structures can influence how speakers perceive agency and responsibility.
  • The distinction between nominative and other cases can affect mental processing of sentence meanings in bilinguals.

Comparative Linguistics

  • Some languages, like English, show fewer inflections marking the nominative case, while others, like Latin, have distinct endings for different cases.
  • In some languages, the nominative case is not used at all; all nouns are treated the same regardless of their grammatical role.

Origin of 'nominative'

Main points about word origin

  • This word comes from the Latin 'nominativus', which means 'naming'.
  • It has its roots in the word 'nomen', meaning 'name' in Latin, showing its connection to identification.

The term 'nominative' originates from the Latin word 'nominativus', meaning 'naming' or 'to name'. This itself comes from the verb 'nominare', which means 'to name'. In the context of grammar, it relates to the function of words that serve as the subject in a sentence. The concept of grammatical cases, including the nominative, has been studied since the time of ancient Greek and Latin linguistics. Various linguistic traditions have their own interpretations and applications of nominative case, but the core idea remains connected to the subject's role in action or being described.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #19,107, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.