The keyword term "Patriots Day Boston bombing" functions grammatically as a proper noun or a compound noun phrase. It operates as a single semantic unit to name a specific, unique historical event, much like other event-based proper nouns such as "the Battle of Gettysburg" or "the San Francisco Earthquake." The main point of the phrase is to serve as a distinct identifier.
In this construction, the final word, "bombing," serves as the head noun. The preceding words, "Patriots Day" and "Boston," are also nouns that function adjectivally as noun adjuncts or attributive nouns. They modify the head noun by specifying the context: the time (Patriots Day) and the location (Boston). This grammatical layering creates a highly specific term, narrowing the focus from a general act to a singular, identifiable incident.
Treating the entire phrase as a proper noun is crucial for clarity and precision. It ensures the term refers specifically to the terrorist attack that occurred during the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. This classification distinguishes the event unambiguously from other potential subjects, such as general discussions about the holiday, the city, or unrelated acts of violence, making it an effective and precise term for historical records, journalism, and information retrieval.
