Page 4 - EALC C306/505

Some Abbreviations and Grammatical Terms

N Noun

V Verb

IV / TV Intrasitive verb / Transitive verb

Adj Adjective (generally used before nouns, specifying a quality: e.g., “It is a red
book.”)

SV Stative verb (an adjectival word that functions as a verb: e.g., “It [is] red.”)

Adv Adverb (generally precedes and modifies a verb, specifying its manner of
execution)

AV Auxialiary verb (used before and in coordination with a main verb, often
separated from the main verb by an object)

CV Coverb (used much like an auxialiary verb, but performing functions less
dependent on its root meaning; a Modern Chinese example would be ba 把)

Prep Preposition

Conj Conjunction

Pron Pronoun

Particle A question or exclamatory word, often appearing at the end of the sentence.

Adnoun Precedes and modifies nouns; generally a quantifier (e.g., “In all cases of . . .”)

Binome A fixed two-syllable expression (often composed of a rhyming pair)

V-O A binome composed of a verb-object combination

Measure A quantifying word modifying a noun, generally appearing after a number

S-V-O Subject, verb, object

Predicate A phrase characterizing a subject

R+R A compound noun whose elements combine to indicate a semantic range
broader than its parts

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