Predicate?
Whats a predicate? been stumped by this one, since it comes up now and then in my studies, e.g. predicate calculus, subject / predicate in sentences.
http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/subjpred.html has an answer.
and answers have definitions:
http://www.answers.com/predicate&r=67, namely:
“To make a statement or assertion.”
- Grammar. One of the two main constituents of a sentence or clause, modifying the subject and including the verb, objects, or phrases governed by the verb, as opened the door in Jane opened the door or is very sleepy in The child is very sleepy.
- Logic. That part of a proposition that is affirmed or denied about the subject. For example, in the proposition We are mortal, mortal is the predicate
So there we have it, the subject is modified by the predicate. Hey, perhaps the model is predicated by the artist.
its related to indicated and maybe dictated. But when would you use this word in everyday language? Here, coffee man, would it be possible to have my coffee predicated by some sugar? not likely. ever.
Now, in the sense of programming and testing, what are the predicates of some code?
from the glorious wikipedia:
“a predicate (computer programming) is an operator or function which returns a boolean value, true or false, and predication is a choice to execute or not to execute a given instruction based on the content of a machine register. ”
well well.
