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Denominal verb

In grammar, denominal verbs are verbs derived from nouns. Many languages have regular morphological indicators to create denominal verbs.

English

English examples are to school, from school, meaning to instruct; to shelve, from shelf, meaning to put on shelves; and to symbolize, from symbol, meaning to be a symbol for.

Some common denominalizing affixes in English are -ize/-ise (e.g., summarize), -ify (e.g., classify), -ate (e.g., granulate), en- (e.g., enslave), be- (e.g., behead), and zero or -∅ (e.g., school).

A variety of semantic relations are expressed between the base noun X and the derived verb. Although there is no simple relationship between the affix and the semantic relation, there are semantic regularities that can define certain subclasses. Such subclasses include:

  • resultative: to make something into an X, e.g., victimize, cash
  • locative: to put something in X, e.g., box, hospitalize
  • instrumental: to use X, e.g., sponge, hammer
  • ablative: to remove something from X, e.g., deplane, unsaddle
  • privative: to remove X from something, e.g., pit (olives), behead, bone, defrost
  • ornative: to add X to something or to cover something with X, e.g., rubberize, salt
  • : to act like or resemble X, e.g., tyrannize, guard
  • performative: to do or perform X, e.g., botanize, tango

Rgyalrong

In Rgyalrong languages, denominal derivations are extremely developed and have given rise to incorporating and antipassive constructions.

Latin

Many Latin verbs are denominal. For example, the first conjugation verb ' (to name) is derived from nomen (a name), and the fourth conjugation verb ' (to soften) derives from the adjective mollis (soft).

Hebrew

Denominal verb derivation is highly productive in Hebrew. They are derived from denominal roots and mostly get a set of , and binyans, but can accept others as well. Only active binyan is shown here:

  • ( - computer) -> ( - computerize);
  • ( - digit/digital) -> ( - digitize);
  • ( - extract, summary) -> ( - summarize);
  • ( - map) -> ( - map).

Some roots derive verbs from more than one binyan set:

  • ( - place) -> ( - place, locate), ( - localize).

See also

References