Frequentive

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. a grammatical aspect or verb form indicating repeated or habitual action
2. a linguistic category expressing actions performed repeatedly or customarily
3. a verb construction denoting iterative or habitual occurrence

Etymology: The word "frequentive" is simply an alternative spelling of "frequentative," and its story runs through Latin grammar. Latin "frequentāre" meant "to do or use often," built on "frequēns," meaning "often, regular, constant, repeated." Late Latin then produced "frequentātīvus," a term for verbs that express repeated action, and English took this over through Middle English "frequentatyf." The Latin "-ō" ending that appears in "frequentāre" is the verb-forming suffix that turns a noun or adjective into an action verb, so the word's core idea is literally "a verb of doing something often." Modern English makes this obvious: "flutter" and "stammer," verbs that describe repeated small motions, are the sort of forms Latin grammarians had in mind.

Synonyms: repetitive, habitual

Antonyms: rare, occasional