Legal Definitions - nominativus pendens

A nominativus pendens refers to a grammatical construction where a noun or pronoun phrase appears at the beginning of a sentence, introducing or commenting on the main idea, but is not grammatically integrated with the rest of the sentence. Essentially, it "hangs" separately, providing context or description without directly serving as the subject or object of the main clause's verb.

• Consider a formal legal declaration that begins: "This sworn statement, made on the fifth day of June, two thousand twenty-four, the undersigned affirms the truth of all facts contained herein."

  In this sentence, "This sworn statement, made on the fifth day of June, two thousand twenty-four" is the nominativus pendens. While it introduces the document and provides crucial context, it is grammatically separate from the main clause, "the undersigned affirms the truth of all facts contained herein." The main clause has its own subject ("the undersigned") and verb ("affirms"), and the introductory phrase does not directly function as the subject of "affirms."

• Imagine a description of a courtroom scene: "The defendant, his face pale and eyes downcast, the jury delivered a guilty verdict."

  Here, "The defendant, his face pale and eyes downcast" serves as a nominativus pendens. This phrase vividly describes the defendant's appearance and emotional state, setting the scene. However, it is not grammatically connected to the main action of the sentence, which is "the jury delivered a guilty verdict." The main clause has its own subject ("the jury") and verb ("delivered"), and the initial descriptive phrase stands apart grammatically.