premodifier
noun[C]
languagespecialized(alsopre-modifier)uk/ˌpriːˈmɒd.ɪ.faɪ.ər/us/ˌpriːˈmɑː.də.faɪ.ɚ/a word or phrase that is used before another word tolimitoraddtoitsmeaning:
Cantoneserequiresthe use of a premodifier, such assongfan,filmfan, orfootballfan, tospecifythetypeoffansomeone is.
In "his ownroom" the word "own" is a pre-modifier of "room", not a post-modifier of "his".
Compare
post-modifier
- "Really" wasreportedto be the mostcommonpremodifier ofadjectivesamongteenagersin London.
- Gradableadjectivestakeintensifiers, called pre-modifiers, to show differentdegreeson ascale.
Linguistics: grammatical terms
- ablative
- apposition
- appositive
- appositively
- attributively
- concord
- countable
- demonstrative
- feminine
- intensifier
- nominative
- particle
- predicatively
- regularity
- singular
- stative
- syntactic
- syntactically
- syntax
- uncountable