Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
frequentative

frequentative

9.9
A verb form that shows an action happens often
  • noun
  • /ˈfriːkwəntətɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : frecuentativo
  • In linguistics, a frequentative verb form can show that an action occurs habitually, for instance, 'She jogs in the morning every day.'

Examples

  • The term frequentative describes a verb form that indicates an action happening repeatedly, such as in the phrase 'He often plays the piano.'

  • The base verb was flanked by domitare, which, despite its frequentative origin, differed little, if at all, in meaning from domare.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The concept of frequentative verbs can help learners understand how to express actions that happen on a regular basis, like 'They visit their grandparents every weekend.'

How Often

habitual
28 4.0
frequentative
  • Specialized
9.9
semelfactive verb
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

frequentative singular
frequentatives plural

Morphology

frequentative = frequent (semi-transparent) = frequent + ative

The relation to 'frequent' (often) is clear but the specialized linguistic meaning 'a form indicating repeated action' is technical rather than a straightforward adjectival sense.

Etymology

Frequentative comes from the Latin part frequent- meaning 'often' or 'crowded' and is the same root as the words frequent and frequency. So a frequentative verb is one that shows an action done 'often' or many times.