ingningsuffix

Ingning suffix is a hypothetical derivational suffix used in linguistic theory and constructed languages to form nominal expressions from verb bases that denote a process or action in progress. In this framework, the suffix marks a verb-derived noun as conveying ongoing or habitual aspect, rather than a simple event.

The term ingningsuffix arose in speculative discussions within conlang communities and theoretical syntax circles in the early 2010s. It is not part of any established natural-language tradition, and its precise form and behavior vary across languages and individual conlangs, with several proposed realizations that fit a language’s phonology.

Morphology and usage: The suffix attaches to the verb stem to yield a noun referring to the process or activity itself. In many accounts, it coexists with other nominalizers or articles, and may interact with aspect marking to emphasize ongoingness or habitual repetition. Some descriptions note optional allomorphs to fit phonotactics.

Examples in a hypothetical language: the verb “to sail” plus ingningsuffix yields “sail-ingning,” meaning the ongoing act of sailing; the verb “to write” yields “writ-ingning,” denoting the process of writing as a continuous activity. Word shape varies by language, with some favoring vowel harmony or consonant adjustment.

See also: nominalization, gerund, aspect in linguistics, conlang studies.