Lisätäverbin

Lisätäverbin is a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to a proposed class of verbal constructions whose function is to express the addition of an action, feature, or object to the core event of a sentence. The label combines lisätä ("to add") and verbin (genitive of "verb"), indicating a semantic operation more than a fixed grammatical item.

In analyses where it occurs, lisätäverbin is generally not treated as a standalone lexical item. Rather, it serves as a functional designation for a pattern in which an additional verbal element, or a periphrastic form, encodes additive meaning—such as sequencing, accumulation, or augmentation of an action. The exact realization varies by language and study.

Its use is relatively rare and chiefly theoretical. Some researchers view lisätäverbin as a useful label for cross-linguistic patterns of addition or for diachronic change in verb complexes; others caution that the category can obscure finer-grained distinctions between sequential, iterative, and cumulative meanings.

Because lisätäverbin is primarily a descriptive label, direct example sentences are typically glossed to emphasize function rather than form. The term is discussed in relation to related concepts such as periphrasis, serial verb constructions, and aspectual marking.

See also: periphrasis; serial verb construction; aspect; Finnish grammar.