denominalní

Denominalní is a linguistic term used to describe words that are derived from nouns. In inflectional and word-formation descriptions, denominal words form a distinct class whose base or root is a noun, and they can operate as adjectives, verbs, or, less commonly, other parts of speech. The term is widely used in language descriptions, including Czech linguistics, where denominalní words are identified by their noun-origin and the productive affixes or conversion processes that create them.

Denominal derivatives come in several common types. Denominal adjectives often express material, content, or related properties, as in wooden chair, woolen scarf, or silvery ring. They can also indicate origin or association with the noun, such as a nautical term referring to ships. Denominal verbs are formed from nouns to denote actions connected with the noun, sometimes through affixation or conversion (for example, to bottle from bottle, to chair from chair). Some languages also allow denominal nouns or adverbs, produced by other derivational means.

In terms of linguistic behavior, denominal derivation is productive in many languages but varies in availability and productivity. The category helps describe how vocabulary expands by reusing existing roots: new words acquire familiar meanings like materiality, function, or relation to the base noun without introducing an entirely new root. Denominalní analysis thus provides a framework for understanding how nouns seed related adjectives, verbs, and other forms, reflecting the interconnectedness of word formation across languages.