Nominalverbs

Nominalverbs is a term used in linguistics to describe words that display both nominal and verbal properties. In this view, such items function as nouns in syntax—able to take determiners, number, and case—while retaining core verbal semantics related to action, event, or process. The label is not universally standardized; some scholars use it interchangeably with verbal noun, deverbal noun, or nominalized verb, while others restrict nominalverbs to forms that arise from functional shift rather than explicit derivation.

Nominalverbs illustrate boundary-crossing word classes and the fluidity of category membership in natural languages. They can appear as bare stems that accept noun-like morphology (for example, a/the run, two runs) or as forms produced by nominalization processes in languages with explicit mechanisms for turning verbs into nouns. Their syntactic behavior often resembles nouns, yet their interpretation frequently preserves episodic or eventive readings associated with verbs.

Cross-linguistic patterns vary. In English, many verbs can be used as nouns through simple nominalization or zero-derivation (the run, a run). Other languages show more systematic nominalization through affixal or clausal strategies, yielding deverbal nouns or verbal nouns with distinct morphosyntactic rules. The study of nominalverbs contributes to understanding how languages manage category boundaries, polysemy, and the relationship between event structure and argument structure.

See also: nominalization, verbal noun, deverbal noun, gerund.