hovedformer

Hovedformer is a term used in Scandinavian linguistics to refer to the main or citation forms of a lexeme. These forms are the basis used to identify a word in dictionaries and to derive its inflected variations. The concept roughly corresponds to the idea of a lemma in many linguistic traditions, though the exact usage can vary between grammars. Some grammars prefer terms like stamme (stem) or grunnform (base form) for similar concepts.

In verbs, hovedformen typically represents the base form from which conjugation proceeds. In many Scandinavian traditions, this is closely related to the infinitive, which serves as the lemma, while finite forms such as presens (present), preteritum (past), and participial forms are derived from it. Depending on the language and framework, the set of hovedformer may include the present and past forms and sometimes participles or supines as additional anchors for inflection.

For nouns, the main form is usually the singular nominative or the dictionary form from which other case or number forms are generated. For adjectives, the positive degree (the basic form used without comparison) often functions as the hovedform, serving as the basis for inflected forms in different degrees or genders.

In practice, hovedformer are central in both traditional grammars and computational lexica. They provide a stable reference point for lexemes, with complete paradigms generated algorithmically or cataloged in dictionaries. The exact definition and scope of hovedformer can differ across languages and linguistic traditions.