verbimodot

Verbimodot is a theoretical linguistic marker proposed to indicate verb mood or modality by appending a small dot after the verb stem in written text. It is discussed mainly in typological and constructed-language studies and is not part of any widely adopted natural language.

Etymology and form: The term combines verbi-, Latin for “of a verb,” with dot referring to the punctuation mark; the symbol is envisaged as a middle dot placed immediately after the verb, e.g., go·.

Function and usage: In proposed systems, verbimodot encodes mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive) and sometimes aspect or modality. Its meaning can be context-dependent; it is typically written attached to the verb rather than as a separate affix. Depending on the design, the same symbol can mark different moods across languages or dialects within a theory.

Illustrative examples: In Language X, go· marks imperative mood; in Language Y, go· marks subjunctive. Because verbimodot is a punctuation-like marker, its interpretation relies on the surrounding language system, and the dot is not a separate word.

Cross-linguistic notes and criticism: Because it is a punctuation-like marker, it raises questions about readability, typography, and compatibility with various scripts. Supporters argue it offers compact encoding of mood; critics warn of ambiguity and misinterpretation across languages and orthographies.

In constructed languages and linguistic theory, verbimodot is seen as an example of how punctuation could participate in morphology. It remains a speculative device and has not been adopted in natural-language orthographies.