gerundlike

Gerundlike is a descriptive term used in linguistics to refer to forms or constructions that resemble gerunds—verbal forms typically ending in -ing that function as nouns or nominalizations—but whose status as true gerunds is unclear or language-dependent. The label is not a universal grammatical category; it serves as a helpful shorthand in cross-linguistic discussions and grammatical analyses.

Gerundlike forms arise when nominalizations are formed from verbs in ways that do not fit neatly with the classic gerund pattern of a language, or when participial forms take on noun-like or modifier roles. They often occur in positions typical for nouns, such as subject or object, or as modifiers of nouns. Distinctions among true gerunds, gerundlike forms, verbal nouns, and participles can be subtle and depend on the language’s morphology and syntax. In some cases, a single form may be debated as a gerund in one analysis and gerundlike in another, depending on how its behavior is treated syntactically.

Examples vary by language. In English, the form running can be a gerund in a sentence like “Running is fun,” yet in “a running joke” the same form behaves more like a participial adjective modifying a noun, a use some analyses would call gerundlike. Other languages employ different nominalization strategies—suffixes, compounding, or word order—that yield noun-like forms with varying degrees of resemblance to gerunds.

Related terms include gerund, verbal noun, deverbal noun, and participle. The use and classification of gerundlike forms are language-specific and often debated in linguistic descriptions.