deverbing

Deverbing is the process of deriving non-verb forms from verbs, typically by turning a verb into a noun or an adjective. In linguistics, such forms are described as deverbal, meaning they originate from a verb but are no longer used primarily as verbs in syntax. The term is often used to discuss nominalization and adjectivization, along with related processes of word formation.

Common mechanisms of deverbing include nominalization, where a verb is converted into a noun, often with affixes such as -tion, -ment, or -ing (for example, decide → decision, create → creation, run → running). Adjectivization uses participial forms or other suffixes, producing expressions like running water or excited fans. Some processes involve zero-derivation, where a word maintains its form but shifts category (for instance, a noun might be used as a verb in certain constructions, or vice versa).

Deverbal nouns and adjectives often encode information about eventives (the act or result of the action), agents, or qualities related to the verb’s meaning. They can differ in argument structure from the original verb and may take determiners, plural marking, or other noun-phrase properties. English, in particular, relies heavily on affixation for deverbing, though many deverbal words also exist through conversion without overt morphology.

The concept contrasts with deverbalization, which describes a broader reduction of verbal features in a language, and with zero-derivation, which can yield nouns or adjectives without explicit suffixes. Deverbing is a key topic in morphology and syntax research, aiding explanations of how languages build new words and manage the interface between word formation and sentence structure.