gerundial

Gerundial is a term used in linguistics and grammar to describe anything related to the gerund, a non-finite verb form that can function as a noun or as an adverbial element in many languages. The gerundial domain includes the gerund itself, as well as constructions built around it, such as gerund phrases or gerundial clauses.

In languages with a productive gerund, the gerund (for example, the Spanish gerundio or the English gerund) can function as a noun, taking on roles typical of nouns such as the subject or object of a sentence. It can also appear in gerundial phrases that modify other elements or express circumstances such as time, manner, or reason. For instance, in English, sentences like “Swimming every morning is healthy” use a gerund as the subject, while “He left without saying goodbye” features a gerundial construction following a preposition.

Gerundial constructions are distinct from infinitival phrases and from participial phrases, though some grammars treat certain non-finite clauses as gerundial when the action is encoded by a gerund-form. The exact status and terminology for these forms vary across languages and grammars, with some calling them gerundial clauses, gerundial phrases, or simply gerund constructions.

Relation to other categories: the gerund is often contrasted with the infinitive (another non-finite form) and with participles. The gerundial domain is especially prominent in descriptions of how languages encode background, accompanying, or attendant actions within larger sentences.

See also: gerund, gerundive, non-finite clauses, participial phrase.