形けい式しき名めい詞し

noun

formal noun; dummy noun; expletive noun

Linguistics term for a noun that has lost its concrete meaning and functions mainly as a grammatical placeholder, such as こと, もの, の, or ところ.

• 「こと」や「もの」は形けい式しき名めい詞しの代だい表ひょう例れいです。

  こと and もの are typical examples of formal nouns.

• 形けい式しき名めい詞しは、具ぐ体たい的てきな意い味みを持もたずに文ぶん法ぽう的てきな役やく割わりを果はたします。

  Formal nouns serve a grammatical role without carrying concrete meaning.