DETERMINATIVE


Meaning of DETERMINATIVE in English

I.  ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌnā]d.]iv, -_nə], ]t], ]ēv also ]əv\ adjective

Etymology: probably from Medieval Latin determinativus definite, from Late Latin, relating to the crisis of a disease, from Latin determinatus + -ivus -ive

1. : having power or tendency to determine : limiting , shaping , directing , conclusive

2. : fixing or tending to determine the specific character

3. of a compound word : belonging either to the karmadharaya class or to the tatpurusha class

Synonyms: see conclusive

II. noun

( -s )

1. : one that serves to determine

2. : a sign attached to a word in any of various forms of writing (as hieroglyphic and cuneiform) to indicate its class, number, or other feature, thereby often serving to distinguish the word from its homographs — compare radical 2c

3. : a usually suffixal sound or sequence of sounds added to a root and producing a longer root or base sometimes with perceptibly modified meaning to which derivational affixes or inflectional endings may be added (as d in reconstructed Indo-European gheud- “to pour”, represented by Latin fudi “I have poured” and Gothic giutan “to pour”, contrasted with reconstructed Indo-European gheu- “to pour”, represented by Sanskrit homa “sacrifice”, Greek cheein “to pour”, chylos “juice”)

4. : a word belonging to any of several classes differently constituted by different grammarians but typically either consisting of certain uses of the definite article and of demonstrative adjectives and pronouns or including the definite article, demonstrative adjectives, demonstrative pronouns, and some limiting adjectives other than demonstratives

5. : a determinative compound

6. : classifier 2

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.