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unflexed

unflexed

7.7
Not changed in form to show tense, number, or case
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈflɛkst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : no flexionado
  • In some languages, certain words remain unflexed regardless of their grammatical role.

Examples

  • The noun stayed unflexed even when used in the plural form.

  • The verb remains unflexed in the present tense.

  • Linguists noted that the verb was unflexed in this dialect.

  • The teacher explained that some verbs are unflexed.

  • In some languages, certain words remain unflexed regardless of their grammatical role.

  • Linguists noted that the verb was unflexed in this dialect.

  • The teacher explained that some verbs are unflexed in specific contexts.

Synonyms

uninflected
vsunflexed
  • Specialized
8.8

Not changed in form to show time, amount, or part in a sentence

highlights that person and gender are included among grammatical features
inflectionless
vsunflexed
  • Specialized
8.0

Having the same form for singular and plural

also covers changes for person and gender beyond those features
unconjugated
vsunflexed
  • Specialized
7.8

Not changed from its basic form, like a verb or a chemical

refers to grammatical forms generally beyond verb specific usage

How Inflected

inflected
  • Specialized
7.2
marked
2.7
unflexed
  • Specialized
7.7
invariable
1 5.5

Surface Forms

unflexed positive

Morphology

unflexed = flexed (opaque) = un + flex + ed

In this grammatical sense 'flexed' relates to inflectional change (flexion/inflection), which is a specialized meaning not obvious from the everyday sense of 'flex' for most learners.

Etymology

The word unflexed is made of un- meaning 'not' and flex meaning 'to bend', the same root you see in flexible. So in grammar unflexed describes a word that 'does not change' its form for tense, number, or person, as if the word does not 'bend' into new shapes.