English

Adjective

catenative ‎(not comparable)

1. Having the ability to catenate, or form chains.
   • 1980, Grzegorz Rozenberg, Arto Salomaa, The Mathematical Theory of L Systems, page 20,

     In this section we shall investigate some of the basic properties of D0L systems that generate locally catenative sequences. These locally catenative D0L systems form one of the mathematically most natural subclasses of the class of D0L systems.

   • 2004, Stephan Gramley, Kurt-Michael Pätzold, A Survey of Modern English, 2nd Edition, page 135,

     Nonfinite complements which refer to a time before that of the main or catenative predicator are exclusively expressed by {-ing} forms (e.g. I remember doing it; She admits going; They deny being there).

   • 2009, Toshikazu S. Foley, Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice, page 213,

     An example of catenative construction of the infinitive has already been observed in (10), where the present infinitive λέγειν is used as a complement or object of the verb θέλοι.

Derived terms

• catenative verb

Related terms

• catenation
• concatenate
• concatenative

Translations

Noun

catenative ‎(plural catenatives)

1. (linguistics) A catenative verb.
   • 1982, Martha Kolln, Understanding English Grammar, page 229,

     There is a certain arbitrariness in the way catenatives work. For example, we can use the verb like with either a gerund or an infinitive as its object: […] .

   • 2010, Peter Fenn, A Student's Advanced Grammar of English (SAGE), page 492,

     Just as many catenatives are followed by the infinitive, so others take the gerund.

   • 2010, Stanley E. Porter, Jeffrey T. Reed, Matthew Brook O'Donnell, Fundamentals of New Testament Greek, page 351,

     Unlike periphrastics, however, catenatives combine certain verbs (e.g., impersonal δεῖ) with an infinitive.

   • 2014, Paula Menyuk, Jacqueline W. Liebergott, Martin C. Schultz, Early Language Development in Full-term and Premature Infants, page 225,

     Sentences containing catenatives (e.g., gonna, wanna, haveta, etc.) have one proposition, coded by the main verb following these.

See also

• Appendix:English catenative verbs