Etymology

Today it means: The first of the two nouns in status constructus, which occurs in a phonetically abbreviated state. For example, in Hebrew, the word "queen" standing alone is malka מלכה. When the word is possessed, as in "Queen of Sheba" (literally "Sheba's Queen"), it becomes malkat šəba מלכת שבא, in which malkat is the construct state (possessed) form and malka is the absolute (unpossessed) form. Thus, the possessed noun in the construct state (Queen) is the nomen regens (governing noun), and the possessor noun, often in the genitive case (Sheba's), is the nomen rectum (governed noun). Full definition →