verboid

Verboid is a term used in linguistics and in conlang (constructed language) study to describe a word class that behaves like a verb in predicate position but does not fit the typical morphological profile of standard verbs in a language. A verboid often arises from adjectives, nouns, or deverbal forms, and it carries verbal semantics such as action, process, or state, while retaining morphosyntactic properties that set it apart from ordinary verbs. The concept is used as a diagnostic tool to account for languages or language designs where predicate formation is not neatly divisible into classic verb and non-verb categories.

Typical features attributed to verboids include their predicate-hood in clauses, the ability to bear aspect or mood markers depending on the language, and variable argument structure that may differ from ordinary verbs. In some systems, verboids may take objects or clausal complements, but their agreement or tense marking can be either reduced, irregular, or entirely separate from true verb paradigms. The classification is primarily typological and heuristic, aimed at describing patterns rather than prescribing a universal category.

Verboids frequently appear in discussions of language contact, creolization, or languages with strong light-verb constructions, where non-verbal bases participate in verbal meaning. They are also common in conlang grammars as a flexible mechanism to express predication without forcing a single, uniform verb class. While the verboid concept is useful for analysis, it is not universally adopted and its exact definition can vary across studies and language descriptions. See also: verb, adjective, predication, morphosyntax, constructed language.