Väiteforms

Väiteforms is a term used in Nordic linguistic literature to refer to the grammatical forms that express statements or assertions. Broadly, the väiteform corresponds to the declarative mood in many languages and is used to present information as factual or asserted.

Definition and scope

A väiteform comprises the verb inflectional system and any accompanying particles or clitics that encode tense, aspect, and, in some languages, evidential or epistemic information. It is the form a speaker uses to state something in a straightforward, non-interrogative, non-imperative manner. In languages with explicit mood systems, the väiteform is often aligned with what is called the indicative mood.

Morphology and syntax

In languages with rich tense and aspect systems, väiteforms mark time (present, past, future) and aspect (perfective, imperfective) as part of a declarative clause. Some languages also integrate evidential markers within the väiteform, signaling the source or reliability of the asserted information (witnessed, reported, or inferred). Word order in väiteforms typically follows the language’s standard declarative pattern, but inflectional endings play a central role in signaling grammatical categories.

Usage and variation

Väiteforms are used across everyday speech, narrative, reporting, and formal writing to convey facts or beliefs. The exact realization of the väiteform varies by language, and in some traditions it is distinguished from related forms that express doubt, conditionality, or questions. In languages with indirect speech or quotation, separate constructions may accompany the base väiteform to indicate reported content.

See also: Declarative sentence, Indicative mood, Mood (grammar), Evidentiality.