frequentative
/frɪˈkwɛntətɪv/
adjective
- Relating to or denoting a verb or verb form that expresses repeated action.
- The teacher explained that 'crackle' is a frequentative form of 'crack'.
- In Latin, the frequentative suffix '-tare' turns a simple verb into one that means repeated action.
- Some languages use frequentative verb forms to show that an action happens many times.
Synonyms
noun
- A verb or verb form that expresses repeated action.
- In English, 'drizzle' can be considered a frequentative of 'drip'.
- Students learned to identify frequentatives by their repetitive meaning.
- The linguist listed several frequentatives from Old English.