What is a finite verb?

A finite verb is a verb form that

• occurs in an independent clause, and
• is fully inflected according to the inflectional categories marked on verbs in the language.

• What is a verb? (Linguistics)

Pei and Gaynor 1954 73

Hartmann and Stork 1972 85

Crystal 1980 146

Palmer 1986 162

Mish 1991 464

Context for this page:

• Concept module: finite verb
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): F
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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