edatfiil

Edatfiil is a term used in some Malay- and Indonesian-language grammars to denote a class of verbal constructions that merge a preposition (edat) with a verb (fiil) to form a single predicate. The label is a portmanteau of edat (preposition) and fiil (verb). It is not universally standardized; in many studies this phenomenon is described instead as prepositional verbs or as a verb with a prepositional complement.

In usage, edatfiil constructions convey spatial, directional, instrumental, or relational meaning by attaching a preposition to or selecting a prepositional phrase with the verb. Common prepositions encountered include ke (toward), di (in/at), dari (from), and pada (at/on). The exact status of the preposition—whether it is an integral part of the predicate or an external PP modifying the verb—varies by analysis and dialect.

Examples may include phrases like pergi ke pasar (go to the market), bekerja di perusahaan (work at the company), mengambil dari rak (take from the shelf). In some descriptions, these forms are treated as single verbal predicates with built-in spatial or relational meaning, while others analyze them as verb plus prepositional phrase sequences.

Cross-linguistic parallels exist with the notion of phrasal verbs or prepositional verbs in other languages, and similar constructions appear in several Austronesian and Southeast Asian languages. See also prepositional phrase, phrasal verb, and verb with prepositional complement.