Trying to understand a sentence...

[Noego]

"An adjective used attributively with a noun headword
produces an extended nominal expression."

attributive:
"(of the position or use of an adjective, noun or phrase) before a noun"

nominal:
"Grammar Of or relating to a noun or word group that functions as a noun."

Here's my vulgarization:

"An adjective put before the noun produces an extended nominal phrase."

Am I right?

I've asked this before, but what is an headword? I still don't understand this. According to this dictionary:

headword:

"Grammar A word that may be modified by an adjunct."

Which leads me to my next question, what is an adjunct?

adjunct:

"In grammar, an adjunct is a word or group of words which indicates the circumstances of an action, event, or situation. An adjunct is usually a prepositional phrase or an adverb group."

The following sentence is given as an example:

"a pretty skirt."

I'm guessing here skirt is a noun headword because it can be modified by an adjunct. Is pretty an adjunct?

Does adjunct means words that modify other words, like adverbs and adjectives?

Is there a difference between a noun and a noun headword? If so, what is it?

[Tdol]

Here's our definition of adjunct: http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/adjunct.html
The first part seems fine, but the adjunct bit makes less sense to me.

[Casiopea]

It's confusing, I know. In grammar, an adjunct is defined as a clause or phrase that's

added to a sentence that, while not essential to the sentence's structure, amplifies its meaning, such as for several hours in We waited for several hours. adjunct - Definitions from Dictionary.com

Broadly defined, thought, even in linguistics, an adjunct is something added to another thing but not essential to it. Think of it as, added junk , an optional constituent of a construction:


Ex: A pretty dress <adjunct + headword>


All the best.

[Noego]

Ok. I think I understand what an adjunct is.

It still pretty hard to determine what is essential from what isn't when you are modifying a noun or a verb however.

Does that mean that adjectives and adverbs are both adjuncts as they are not necessary in a sentence?

[Casiopea]

Does that mean that adjectives and adverbs are both adjuncts as they are not necessary in a sentence?

Broadly defined, yes, that's correct, and if I were you, I'd stick to the term modification.