igeképz

Igéképzés, or verb formation in Hungarian, is the process by which new verbs are created from base forms such as nouns, adjectives, or existing verbs, as well as through combining elements. It is a productive part of Hungarian morphology that expands the lexicon and allows a range of meanings, aspects, and intensities.

One major method is prefixation, where prefixes modify a verb’s meaning or aspect. Common prefixes include meg-, be-, ki-, fel-, el-, and vissza-. Examples are megír (to write down or compose), felolvas (to read aloud), bevásárol (to go shopping), and felépít (to build up).

Another key method is suffixation, especially derivational suffixes that form new verbs or change their valency or aspect. A well-known pattern is the suffix -ít, which can derive verbs from nouns or adjectives, for example szám (number) → számít (to count or to matter) and érzékeny (sensitive) → érzékenít (to sensitize). The suffix -ál/-ít is also productive, as in telefonál (to phone).

Compounding and loanword-based derivation also contribute to igéképzés. Some verbs are formed by combining a base with prefixes or with noun stems borrowed from other languages, such as bevásárol (from be- plus vásárol) or telefonál (from telefon with the -ál suffix).

In linguistic study, igéképzés is examined for productivity, semantic shifts, and its role in expanding the language’s expressive resources. The processes vary in frequency and acceptability across dialects and historical periods.