Inchoative verb

An incohative verb, sometimes called an "inceptive" verb, shows a process of beginning or becoming. Productive incohative infixes exist in several languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek. Not all verbs with incohative infixes have retained their inceptive meaning.

Latin

The Latin language uses the infix -sc- to show incohative force. The infix is normally seen in the present tense stem, and is not present in the third and fourth principal parts.

• apiscor, apisci, aptus sum reach
• cresco, crescere, crevi, cretus come into being, spring up, grow up
• disco, discere, didici learn
• irascor, irasci, iratus sum be in a rage
• lapidesco, lapidescere become stone
• misceo, miscere, miscui, mixtus mix
• nanciscor, nancisci, nactus/nanctus sum get
• nosco, noscere, novi, notus get to know
• obdormisco, obdormiscere, obdormivi, obdormitus fall asleep
• posco, poscere, poposci demand
• proficiscor, proficisci, profectus sum set out
• rubesco, rubescere, rubui (<rubeo) to grow red, redden

Ancient Greek

Greek also uses -sk- to show incohative force in the present stem. -σκ- is added to verb-stems ending in vowels, --ισκ- is added to consonant stems.

• αρεσκω to please
• φασκω to feed