Introduction

Abstract

Abstract This chapter discusses various approaches to nominalization and defines it as ‘a noun (phrase) which has a systematic correspondence with a clause structure’. Such nouns are called ‘verbal nouns’. Verbal nouns lack sentential properties. They are compared with non-finite verb forms (participles, infinitives, gerunds, and gerundives), which show a lack of sentential properties (desententialization) to various extents. It is argued that verbal nouns retain some verbal properties, especially the requirement of arguments or obligatory constituents and aspectual (lexical) properties of the corresponding verbs. On the basis of their combinability with temporal expressions, four classes of verbal nouns can be distinguished expressing activities, accomplishments, achievements, or states. Many verbal nouns are polysemous: they can be used as verbal nouns with a verbal meaning, or as nouns with a concrete meaning to denote physical entities.