Predicand

In semantics, a predicand is an argument in an utterance, specifically that of which something is predicated. By extension, in syntax, it is the constituent in a clause typically functioning as the subject. In the most typical cases, the predicand corresponds to the subject of a clause, and the predicate corresponds to a verb phrase (VP) that is the head of the clause. But there are also form-meaning mismatches, where the predicand is not a subject or where the predicate is not the head of the clause. Also, not every utterance has a predicand. The typical case involves a predicand corresponding to the subject and a predicate corresponding to a verb phrase that is the head of the clause. Predicands are usually expressed in the utterance, and they are typically the subject. In the English example (1), the predicand is the person being spoken to, which corresponds to the subject you. In many languages, pronominal subjects can be dropped, but this doesn't drop a predicand. For instance, in the Spanish example (2), there is no subject, but the predicand is still the person being spoken to. If the subject is not included, the predicand can be ambiguous, as shown in the Japanese example (3). When (3) is spoken, it can be interpreted as "it's hot" where the predicand is the ambient temperature, or it can mean that an object is hot to the touch, in which case, the predicand would be the object in question. Predicands are usually unexpressed in imperative clauses, but they are usually the person or people being addressed. There are cases in which the predicand has a syntactic function other than subject. This happens in raising constructions, such as (4). Here, you is the object of the make verb phrase, the head of the main clause. But it's also the predicand of the subordinate think clause, which has no subject. Another example is in object predicands such as (5). A modifier can be a predicate. Often this is a VP as in (6a), but it can also be an adjective phrase, as in (6b). In both cases the relevant modifier is underlined.