fredo733 said:
Hello
I have a question regarding the OED definition of the word "predicate"
It says:" The statement made about a subject, including the logical copula(which in a verb is expressed by the personal suffix).
i don`t understand what is meant with the logical copula and the personal suffix. why is it expressed by this?
i would be very thankfull, if you could help me
best regards
fredo
EX: She washes the car.
In grammar, the first word
She is the subject, and
washes the car is the predicate. The predicate is made up of the verb
washes and its object
the car.
Grammar: She
washes the car. (Predicate)
In logic, every proposition is reducible to the form
A is B, B being the predicate. That is, we insert a word between the subject and the predicate to get a better idea of what the predicate actually looks like, like this,
Logic: She
is washing the car. (Predicate)
The logical form of
She washes the car would be
She is washing the car.
The logical copula (i.e. the word that connects or couples together the subject with the predicate) would be "is",
She
is washing the car. (Copula)
With other verbs, though, the logical copula (i.e. the thing that connects the subject with the predicate) is not visible,
She (subject)
washes the car. (Predicate)
Here we have A B; there's no A
is B.
In a verb, such as washes, walks, goes, eats, the logical copula, or in other words, the thing that ties or bridges the subject with the predicate, is expressed by the personal suffix (i.e. by inflection),
She wash
es the car.
That is, the -es ending on
washes agrees in number and person with the 3rd person singular subject
She.
Subject-Verb Agreement acts as the logical copula.
She wash
es the car. (Logical Copula)
She
is washing the car. (Logical Copula)
When there isn't a copula (i.e. "is, am, are" etc.), inflection (i.e. -es) acts as the joining element.
All the best,