överböjas

Överböjas is a term used in linguistics to describe a phenomenon in which inflectional marking is applied beyond the standard paradigm for a word or category. It refers to overgeneralization of inflection patterns, often arising from analogy with related forms or historical changes that broaden the set of endings or forms associated with a stem.

Etymology and form. The word is a Swedish compound: över- meaning over, böja meaning to bend or inflect, with the passive suffix -as forming the verb överböjas, “is overbent/overinflected.” In linguistic descriptions, the term can also appear in discussions of related processes under different names, but överböjas specifically denotes the overextension of inflection in a form.

Significance and usage. Överböjas is used primarily in descriptive and theoretical linguistics to account for irregular or unexpected inflectional forms within a language’s morphology. It helps explain how speakers or historical changes produce forms that extend beyond established paradigms, whether through analogy, language contact, or diachronic development. The concept is relevant to inflectional systems in Swedish and other Germanic languages, as well as to studies of second-language acquisition where learners overgeneralize endings.

Relation to other concepts. Överböjas is related to general notions of overgeneralization and analogy in morphology, as well as to historical morphophonology. It is distinguished from ordinary irregular forms by its emphasis on the expansion of an inflectional pattern beyond its standard usage rather than merely exceptional, idiosyncratic forms.

See also: inflection, morphology, analogy, historical linguistics, language acquisition.