Denominal verb

In grammar, denominal verbs are verbs derived from nouns.^[1] Many languages have regular morphological indicators to create denominal verbs.

English

English examples are to school, from school, meaning to instruct; to shelve, from shelf, meaning to put on shelves; and to symbolize, from symbol, meaning to be a symbol for.

Some common denominalizing affixes in English are -ize/-ise (e.g., summarize), -ify (e.g., classify), -ate (e.g., granulate), en- (e.g., enslave), be- (e.g., behead), and zero or -∅ (e.g., school).^[2]

A variety of semantic relations are expressed between the base noun X and the derived verb. Although there is no simple relationship between the affix and the semantic relation,^[2] there are semantic regularities that can define certain subclasses. ^[3] Such subclasses include:^[1][4][5]

• resultative: to make something into an X, e.g., victimize, cash
• locative: to put something in X, e.g., box, hospitalize
• instrumental: to use X, e.g., sponge, hammer
• ablative: to remove something from X, e.g., deplane, unsaddle
• privative: to remove X from something, e.g., pit (olives), behead, bone, defrost
• ornative: to add X to something or to cover something with X, e.g., rubberize, salt
• similative: to act like or resemble X, e.g., tyrannize, guard
• performative: to do or perform X, e.g., botanize, tango

Rgyalrong

In Rgyalrong languages, denominal derivations are extremely developed and have given rise to incorporating and antipassive constructions.^[6][7]

Latin

Many Latin verbs are denominal.^[8] For example, the first conjugation verb nominare (to name) is derived from nomen (a name),^[8] and the fourth conjugation verb mollire (to soften) derives from the adjective mollis (soft).^[9]

Hebrew

Denominal verb derivation is highly productive in Hebrew. They are derived from denominal roots and mostly get a set of pi'el, pu'al and hitpa'el binyans, but can accept others as well. Only active pi'el binyan is shown here:

• מַחְשֵׁב (makhshev - computer) -> מִחְשֵׁב (mikhshev - computerize);
• סִפְרָתִי/סִפְרָה (sifra/sifrati - digit/digital) -> סִפְרֵת (sifret - digitize);
• תַּמְצִית (tamtzit - extract, summary) -> תִּמְצֵת (timtzet - summarize);
• מַפָּה (mapa - map) -> מִפָּה (mipa - map).

Some roots derive verbs from more than one binyan set:

• מָקוֹם (makom - place) -> מִקֵּם (mikem - place, locate), הִמְקִים (himkim - localize).

See also

• Deverbal noun, where the noun is formed from the verb.