Gerundive
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
, a gerundive is a particular verb
form. The term is applied very differently to different languages; depending on the language, gerundives may be verbal adjectives, verbal adverbs
, or finite verb
s. Not every language has gerundives.
, the gerundive is a verbal
adjective
used to indicate that a noun needs or deserves to be the object of an action.
Some examples of the Latin gerundive include:
: bitri hidju kheydu (literally, a-stick he-took-hold-of he-began-walking) means while holding a stick, he is walking, i.e. he is carrying a stick. See Tigrinya verbs
.
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, a gerundive is a particular verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
form. The term is applied very differently to different languages; depending on the language, gerundives may be verbal adjectives, verbal adverbs
Non-finite verb
In linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
, or finite verb
Finite verb
A finite verb is a verb that is inflected for person and for tense according to the rules and categories of the languages in which it occurs. Finite verbs can form independent clauses, which can stand on their own as complete sentences....
s. Not every language has gerundives.
In Latin
In LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, the gerundive is a verbal
Non-finite verb
In linguistics, a non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by a subject and, more generally, is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as tense, aspect, mood, number, gender, and person...
adjective
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
used to indicate that a noun needs or deserves to be the object of an action.
Some examples of the Latin gerundive include:
- Cato the ElderCato the ElderMarcus Porcius Cato was a Roman statesman, commonly referred to as Censorius , Sapiens , Priscus , or Major, Cato the Elder, or Cato the Censor, to distinguish him from his great-grandson, Cato the Younger.He came of an ancient Plebeian family who all were noted for some...
, a Roman senatorRoman SenateThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
, frequently ended his speeches with the statement, "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esseCarthago delenda est"Carthago delenda est" or the fuller "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam" or "Ceterum autem censeo, Carthaginem esse delendam" are Latin political phrases which were popular in the Roman Republic during the latter years of the Punic Wars against Carthage...
" (lit. "I also think Carthage to be "[something] that must be destroyed"" i.e. "Besides which, I think Carthage must be destroyed"). - The phrase "quod erat demonstrandum" ("which was to be demonstrated"), whose abbreviated form Q.E.D.Q.E.D.Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase , which translates as "which was to be demonstrated". The phrase is traditionally placed in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument when what was specified in the enunciation — and in the setting-out —...
is often used after the final conclusion of a proof. - The name Amanda is the feminine gerundive of amare, to love. Thus, it means roughly, "[she who is] to be loved", "worthy of being loved", "worthy of love", or simply "lovable". Similarly with the name Miranda; mirari means to admire, so the name means roughly "[she who is] to be admired", "worthy of admiration", or "admirable".
- A number of English words come directly from Latin gerundives; for example, addendumAddendumAn addendum, in general, is an addition required to be made to a document by its reader subsequent to its printing or publication. It comes from the Latin verbal phrase addendum est, being the gerundive form of the verb addo, addere, addidi, additum, "to give to, add to", meaning " must be added"...
comes from the gerundive of addere, to add; referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
comes from the gerundive of referre, to bring back; and agendaAgenda (meeting)An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, by beginning with the call to order and ending with adjournment. It usually includes one or more specific items of business to be discussed. It may, but is not required to, include specific times for one or...
comes from a plural of agendum, the gerundive of agere, to do. Additionally, some words come from Latin gerundives by an indirect route; propaganda, for example, comes from a New LatinNew LatinThe term New Latin, or Neo-Latin, is used to describe the Latin language used in original works created between c. 1500 and c. 1900. Among other uses, Latin during this period was employed in scholarly and scientific publications...
phrase containing a feminine form of propagandum, the gerundive of propagare, to propagate.
In Classical Greek
The gerundive in Classical Greek is a verbal adjective similar to the Latin one.In Tigrinya
The Tigrinya gerundive is a finite verb form, not a verbal adjective or adverb. Generally speaking, it denotes completed action which is still relevant. A verb in the gerundive can be used alone, or serially with another gerundive verb; in the latter case it may sometimes be translated with an adverbial clauseAdverbial clause
An adverbial clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb. In other words, it contains a subject and a predicate, and it modifies a verb.*I saw Joe when I went to the store....
: bitri hidju kheydu (literally, a-stick he-took-hold-of he-began-walking) means while holding a stick, he is walking, i.e. he is carrying a stick. See Tigrinya verbs
Tigrinya verbs
In order to view the Tigrinya characters in this article, you will need a Unicode Ge'ez font, such as [ftp://ftp.ethiopic.org/pub/fonts/TrueType/gfzemenu.ttf GF Zemen Unicode]....
.
External links
The following pages provide definitions or glosses of the term gerundive:- As applied to Latin:
-
- at infoplease quoting Random House Unabridged Dictionary
- in Wiktionary
- As applied to Tigrinya:
- As applied to English: