The predicate as an imperative: An applied foundational study.

Abstract

The study addressed a method used by the wise legislator in directing imperatives to those accountable, which is the predicate in the sense of a command. This study answers the suspicion of the tangible reality being contrary to the report of the legislator. It clarified the meaning of predicate as an imperative and the wisdom behind the predicate being conveyed in this manner. It cited several legal texts where imperatives are presented in the form of predicates. The researcher employed the inductive method, analytical method, and deductive method. The study is divided into two sections with several topics and reached a number of conclusions, the most important of which is that imperatives in legal texts appear in the form of predicates, which is a form of metaphor. The predicate in the sense of an imperative has a meaning similar to that of an explicit command, and it undergoes the same disputes that arise in explicit imperatives. The imperative appears in the form of a predicate as a confirmation of the commanded action and an encouragement to fulfill it.

*Keywords:* predicate , imperative metaphor, wisdom.