A Dictionary of Philosophy, Third Edition
. An adjective stands in attributive position if it goes with its noun. (‘A red house’), and in predicative position if it occurs after a verb (‘The house is red’). It is grammatically attributive if it can only occur attributively (‘veritable’), and grammatically predicative if it can only occur predicatively (‘well’, ‘over’, meaning ‘finished’). It is logically attributive if a significant noun or equivalent must always be understood after it. ‘That mouse is large’ means. ‘That mouse is a large mouse’—it need not be a large animal. ‘Logically predicative’ has no use.
Attributives are of different kinds.
A large mouse is large for a mouse, but a mere child is not mere for a child. Adjectives like ‘bogus’ or ‘alleged’, which repudiate or cast doubt on the application of the following noun, occasionally called alienans, may or may not be called attributive. See also CATEGORIES, GOOD.
J.Brentlinger, ‘Incomplete predicates and the two-world theory of the Phaedo,’ Phronesis, 1972, p. 71 note 13. (Brief discussion, with references.)
P.T.Geach, ‘Good and evil’, Analysis, vol. 17, 1956–7. (Explains distinction and claims ‘good’ is always logically attributive.)
W.V.O.Quine, Word and Object, MIT Press, 1960. (See p. 103 for ‘mere child’ example.)
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