The keyword term is a noun phrase. In this construction, "victim" is the head noun, which identifies the core subject as a person. The term "911" functions as a noun adjunct, which is a noun used as an adjective to modify another noun. Therefore, the primary part of speech of the entire phrase is a noun.
The grammatical structure relies on "911" specifying the type of victim. It is not an arbitrary number but a proper noun referencing the specific historical events of September 11, 2001. As a noun adjunct, it answers the question, "What kind of victim?" This linguistic mechanism is highly efficient for creating specific categories, distinguishing these individuals from victims of other circumstances. This is the same grammatical pattern seen in phrases like "war veteran" or "cancer survivor," where the first noun modifies the second to create a specific, consolidated meaning.
Determining that the term is a noun is crucial because it establishes that the article's central focus is on a person or group of people. This dictates that the content should revolve around the experiences, identities, and narratives of these individuals, rather than on an action (verb) or a quality (adjective). All other descriptive language within the article will serve to elaborate on this core subject, ensuring the narrative remains centered on the human element and its direct connection to the event.
