inchoative

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English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin inchoātīvus, formed by metathesis from incohātīvus, from incohō (to begin). Compare French inchoatif.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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inchoative (not comparable)

  1. At the beginning, still in an unformed state.
    • 1648, Walter Montagu, “The One and Twentieth Treatise. Of the Preheminences of a True Contemplative Life. §. I. Contemplation Defined, and Some Excellencies thereof Discoursed.”, in Miscellanea Spiritualia: Or, Devout Essaies, London: [] W[illiam] Lee, D[aniel] Pakeman, and G[abriel] Bedell, [], →OCLC, page 387:
      [T]he day-Star [] ſhall be riſen in our hearts; vvhereof theſe acts of our intellect ſeem to be ſome inchoative or imperfect rays, []
    • 1858–1865, Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: Chapman and Hall, [], →OCLC:
      Our first Piece is of Winter, or late Autumn, 1771,—while the solution of the Polish Business is still in its inchoative stages; …
  2. (grammar) Aspectually indicating that a state is about to be entered or is in the process of being entered.
    • 1974, Floyd L. Moreland, Rita M. Fleischer, Latin: An Intensive Course, University of California Press, page 12:
      The inchoative (inceptive) aspect of a verb expresses the beginning of an action. Example: He is beginning to crawl.
  3. (grammar) Inflected in or relating to the inchoative aspect.
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Translations

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See also

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Noun

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inchoative (plural inchoatives)

  1. (grammar) An inchoative construction.

See also

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References

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German

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Pronunciation

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  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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inchoative

  1. inflection of inchoativ:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular