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Glite Dictionary
pronominal phrase

pronominal phrase

9.0
A group of words used instead of a noun or name
  • noun
  • /prəˈnɑːmɪnəl freɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : frase pronominal
  • A pronominal phrase can replace a noun in a sentence.

Examples

  • The pronominal phrase 'each of them' refers to all people in the group.

  • Teachers often highlight the difference between a simple pronoun and a pronominal phrase.

  • In the sentence, 'one of these', the pronominal phrase acts as the subject.

  • In English, a pronominal phrase often begins with a pronoun.

  • In the phrase 'all of us', the pronominal phrase serves as a replacement for 'the members of our group'.

  • The term 'each of you' is an example of a pronominal phrase that simplifies longer noun phrases.

  • When we say 'some of them', the pronominal phrase succinctly stands in for 'some of the people mentioned'.

Synonyms

pronominal
vspronominal phrase
  • Specialized
8.6

A word or phrase that stands in for a noun

refers specifically to multiword units that act as pronouns rather than single words

Surface Forms

pronominal phrase singular
pronominal phrases plural

Morphology

pronominal + phrase

The meaning 'a phrase that functions as a pronoun' is directly derivable from 'pronominal' (relating to pronouns) plus 'phrase' (a group of words). This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition that follows regular morphological logic and is parallel in many languages, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Pronominal phrase comes from the idea that pronominal is about a 'pronoun' and phrase is a small group of words. It is a group of words that 'stands in for' a 'noun', for example 'each of them' or 'one of these', so the term means a phrase that acts like a pronoun.