Igenév

Igenév is a linguistic term used in Hungarian grammar to refer to a non-finite verb form that can function as a noun or name the action itself. In many traditions, the igenév encompasses what in English is described as the infinitive and, in some analyses, as a verbal noun. The exact scope of the term varies between grammars and schools of thought.

In use, an igenév marks an action or state without specifying a subject or tense. The infinitive form in Hungarian typically ends in -ni, as in enni (to eat) or írni (to write). Verbal nouns, formed with affixes such as -ás/-és, name the action as a concept or object, for example olvasás (reading) or írás (writing). Depending on the analysis, an igenév can function as a noun in a sentence or as a non-finite verb within a clause, often without agreement with a subject.

The igenév is related to other non-finite verb forms such as participles and gerunds. Some grammars treat infinitives and verbal nouns as separate categories, while others group them under the broad label igenév. This reflects broader differences in how languages encode non-finite actions and nominalized verbs.

In cross-linguistic terms, the igenév helps describe how languages distinguish forms that express “to do” versus “the act of doing.” In English, the pairs infinitive (to eat) and gerund/verbal noun (eating) illustrate this range; Hungarian uses similar but differently structured forms within the same analytical framework.