Intensive
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2008-05-26T23:32:33Z
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Reverting possible vandalism by [[Special:Contributions/66.139.8.195|66.139.8.195]] to version by Hakeem.gadi. False positive? [[User:ClueBot/FalsePositives|Report it]]. Thanks, [[User:ClueBot]]. (395472) (Bot)
{{wiktionarypar|intensive}}
:{{dablink|In [[physics]], '''intensive''' may refer to an [[intensive quantity]].}}
In grammar, an '''intensive''' form of a word is one which denotes stronger or more forceful action as compared with the root on which the intensive is built. Intensives are usually lexical formations, but there may be a regular process for forming intensives from a base root. Intensive formations, for example, existed in [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]], and in many of the [[Semitic]] languages.
In [[Classical Arabic]], Form II (''faʿʿal-a'') can form intensives, in addition to causatives; while form IV ('''afʿal-a'') forms only causitives. [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] has a similar distinction between the "pi`el" (intensive) and "hiph`il" (causative) [[binyan]]s. Some Germanic languages have intensive prefixes or particles that can be attached to verbs; consider German ''zer-'', which adds the meaning of "... into pieces", e.g. ''reißen'' "to rip" ''zerreißen'' "to rip to pieces".
Latin had verbal prefixes ''e-'' and ''per-'' that could be more or less freely added onto any verb and variously added such meanings as "to put a great deal of effort into doing something". When the same prefixes (''per'' especially) were added onto adjectives, the resulting meaning was "very X" or "extremely X".
[[Category:Grammar]]
[[Category:Grammatical aspects]]
[[Category:Verb types]]
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