inchoative

Borrowed from Latin inchoātīvus, formed by metathesis from incohātīvus, from incohō (“to begin”). Compare French inchoatif.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkəʊ.ə.tɪv/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkoʊətɪv/

inchoative (not comparable)

1. At the beginning, still in an unformed state.
   • 1648, Walter Montagu, Miscellanea Spiritualia, or Devout Essaies:

     Some inchoative or imperfect rays.

   • 1858, Thomas Carlyle, History Of Friedrich II Of Prussia:

     Our first Piece is of Winter, or late Autumn, 1771,—while the solution of the Polish Business is still in its inchoative stages; …

2. (grammar) Aspectually indicating that a state is about to be entered or is in the process of being entered.
   • 1974, Floyd L. Moreland, Rita M. Fleischer, Latin: An Intensive Course, University of California Press, page 12:

     The inchoative (inceptive) aspect of a verb expresses the beginning of an action. Example: He is beginning to crawl.

3. (grammar) Inflected in or relating to the inchoative aspect.

• inchoate

• inceptive

inchoative (plural inchoatives)

1. (grammar) An inchoative construction.

• emerging
• prospective

• inchoative aspect on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “inchoative”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “inchoative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

• Audio

  (file)

inchoative

1. inflection of inchoativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular