gramaticalise

- 1 dictionary result

gram⋅mat⋅i⋅cal⋅ize

[gruh-mat-i-kuh-lahyz]

–verb (used with object), -ized, -iz⋅ing. Linguistics.

1.	to convert (a content word or part of one) into a functor, as in using OE līc, "body,' as a suffix in adjectives and adverbs, such as OE frēondlīc, "friendly.'

2.	to represent (semantic features) by grammatical categories, as plurality in English or gender in French.

Also, especially British, gra⋅mat⋅i⋅cal⋅ise.

Origin:
1935–40; grammatical + -ize

Related forms:

gram⋅mat⋅i⋅cal⋅i⋅za⋅tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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