Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Elementary Arabic Syntax 2 Nominative Cases of a Noun: Inchoative and Predicate What is an inchoative? An inchoative is a noun in the nominative case that is mentioned at the beginning of a sentence. For example: العلمُ نافعٌ (Knowledge is beneficial.) What is a predicate? A predicate is a word that completes the meaning of the inchoative. For example: المطرُ غزیرٌ (The rain is heavy.) What is the rule regarding inchoatives and predicates?
The inchoative is a definite noun that comes first and a predicate is an indefinite noun, if it is a noun, which comes after the inchoative. Is it possible for an inchoative to be an indefinite noun? The inchoative can be indefinite if it is useful. For example: شمسٌ مضیئةٌ ظَهَرَت (A luminous sun appeared.) When does the predicate come before the inchoative? The predicate comes before the inchoative if: • the inchoative is intended by itself.
For example: ما عادلٌ إلا اللهُ (There is no just being except Allah.). This means that Allah, nothing else, was intended. • the predicate is a adverbial noun of time or place or a genitive prepositional phrase and the inchoative is indefinite. For example: في البیت لصٌ (A thief is in the house.) • the predicate is one of the words that must come at the beginning of a sentence.
For example: أینَ الطریقٌ (Where is the path?) • if the inchoative is connected to a pronoun that refers to the predicate. For example: في الدارِ صاحبُها (The owner of the house is in the house.) What is a sentence comprised of an inchoative and a predicate called? A sentence comprised of an inchoative and a predicate is called a nominal sentence. For example: الکسلُ عاقبتُهُ الفقرُ (The end of a lazy person is poverty.) How many types of predicates are there?
There are three types of predicates: • Noun, for example: عليٌ أسدٌ ('Alī is a lion.) • Sentence, for example: الکسل عاقبته الفقر • Fragment, for example: بَلاء الإنسانِ مِن اللسانِ (Man's tribulations come from the tongue.) Previous Next