verbul

Verbul is a term used in linguistic theory to describe a word class that can function as a predicate on a clause but often arises from non-verb bases or displays mixed morphosyntactic properties. It is employed to account for languages with fluid word-class systems, where some items participate in predication without following the full verbal paradigm, or where deverbal elements act as the main predicate with light-verb support.

Etymology and history: The name combines verbum, the Latin word for “word,” with a diminutive-like suffix -ul to designate a specialized category. The concept emerged in studies of verbal nouns and contact languages in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Morphology and syntax: Verbul items are typically non-inflecting for subject agreement, or show limited person agreement, and often require auxiliary or copular markers to encode tense, aspect, or mood. They frequently participate in light-verb constructions, where a separate verb conveys semantics like impact or completion. In some languages, verb-like inflection is possible, making the verbul indistinguishable from ordinary verbs in that context.

Cross-linguistic patterns: Verbul-like elements have been observed in various language families, especially those with rich nominalization, serial verb constructions, or complex predicate-periphery architectures.

See also: Verb, Verbal noun, Deverbal, Light verb, Nominalization.