Deverbal noun

In grammar, deverbal nouns are nouns derived from verbs or verb phrases; it is a form of nominalization (forming a noun). This can be found in the English language but also in many other languages. An example from English is the word construct:

• Verb: /kʌnˈstɹʌkt/ — To build; to form.
• Noun: /ˈkanstɹʌkt/ — Something constructed from parts.

Russian also has several types of deverbals in its verbal declension/conjugation paradigms.

Definition

Verbal nouns (VNs) and deverbal nouns (DVNs) are both nouns formed from verbs (formally, lexicalized nouns derived from or cognate to verbs), but are distinguished syntactic word classes. DVNs differ functionally from VNs in that DVNs operate as autonomous common nouns,^[1] while VNs retain verbal characteristics.

For example, gerunds are verbals, not deverbals; compare:

• Fencing is fun. (verbal – an activity; replaceable by the infinitive "to fence")
• The white fencing contributes to the neighborhood character (deverbal – a common noun, replaceable by other nouns like "bench")

Semantic types of deverbals

Deverbals may be categorized semantically according to what facet of the process (that the verb refers to) is reified (construed as a thing).^[2] For example:

Agent nouns

invader, singer – the agent of the action.

Patient nouns

draftee – the object of the action.

Result nouns

dent, bruise

Manner nouns

walk, as in "She has a funny walk."

Ability nouns

speech, as in "She regained her speech."

Episode nouns

destruction, as in "The bomb's destruction was widespread."

By language

Japanese

See also: Okurigana

In Japanese, verbal nouns are treated (grammatically and orthographically) as verb forms, while deverbal nouns are treated as nouns. This is reflected in okurigana (following characters), which are used for verb conjugation and, similarly, for verbal nouns, but not for deverbal nouns. For example, 話す、話し、話 (hana-su, hana-shi, hanashi) are the verb, nominalized verb (VN), and deverbal noun (DVN) of "converse", "conversation (the act)", "conversation (the episode)" – the first two are written with following hiragana characters (す、し), as verb forms, while the latter is written without following characters, as a noun. A more dramatic example is found in 氷る、氷り、氷 (koo-ru, koo-ri, koori), meaning "freeze", "freezing", "ice (literally: freezing)", where the verbal origins are more distant from the current use of the noun.

See also

• Nominalization
• Verbal noun

References

1. ^ Jaggar, Philip J. (2001). Hausa. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. p. 285 (Chapter 8: Verbal Nouns, Deverbal Nouns, and Infinitives). ISBN 9027238073, 9789027238078. 
2. ^ Taylor, John R. (2001-01-18). Possessives in English. Oxford University Press. p. p. 242 (Section 9.3: Semantic Structure of Deverbal Nouns). ISBN 0198299826, 9780198299820.