Predicative

This is can be confusing because current mathematical practice does not distinguish between predicative and non-predicative functions, and in any case PM never defines exactly what a "predicative function" actually is: this is taken as a primitive notion.

Colloquial Khmer is a zero copula language, instead preferring predicative adjectives (and even predicative nouns) unless using a copula for emphasis or to avoid ambiguity in more complex sentences.

A predicative adjective does not take the accusative case suffix even when the noun it modifies does: :mi farbis la pordon ruĝan (I painted the red door) :mi farbis la pordon ruĝa (I painted the door red).

Both attributive and predicative adjectives agree with the noun.

Certain adjectives are restricted to one or other use; for example, drunken is attributive (a drunken sailor), while drunk is usually predicative (the sailor was drunk).

Examples are given below (with the copula in bold and the predicative expression in italics): ::Mary and John are my friends.

However, when the adjective is used in a predicative sense, it must agree with the noun: az almák pirosak ‘the apples are red’.

In these cases the verb itself expresses a predicate (that of existence ), rather than linking to a predicative expression as it does when used as a copula.

The subjective case form of pronouns is used when pronouns occur as grammatical subject of a sentence, and oblique forms are used for all non-subjective occurrences including accusative, dative, predicative, comparative and other types of constructions.

Unlike adjectives, nouns acting as modifiers (called attributive nouns or noun adjuncts ) usually are not predicative; a beautiful park is beautiful, but a car park is not "car".