contrastive

English

Etymology

contrast +‎ -ive

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɹɑː.stɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /kənˈtɹæs.tɪv/, /ˈkɑntɹæs.tɪv/

Adjective

contrastive (comparative more contrastive, superlative most contrastive)

1. Contrasting.
   • 1965 June 4, Shigeyuki Kuroda, “Generative grammatical studies in the Japanese language”, in DSpace@MIT‎^[1], retrieved 2014-02-24:

     This thesis is an attempt to apply the theory of transformational grammar to the Japanese language. […] Comparison of the structure of Japanese and English is also our concern, whenever possible, and it is seen that the transformational theory is helpful in such contrastive studies.

   • 1985, David-Hillel Ruben, The Metaphysics of the Social World, page 141:

     Consider the first, allegedly contrastive fact, that there were some bank robbings by Sutton rather than no robbings at all by Sutton.

   • 2008, Alexandra Aikhenvald, The Manambu Language of East Sepik, Papua New Guinea, →ISBN, page 1:

     Vowel length is contrastive.

Derived terms

• contrastive linguistics
• contrastively
• contrastiveness

See also

• comparative

Italian

Adjective

contrastive

1. feminine plural of contrastivo

Anagrams

• contestarvi, scontratevi