zero derive

UK/ˌzɪəɹəʊ dəˈɹaɪv/US/ˌziɹəʊ dəˈɹaɪv/

verb

To derive a word from another word (of a differing part of speech) without modification; to perform zero derivation.

Meanings

verbzero derive (third-person singular simple present zero derives, present participle zero deriving, simple past and past participle zero derived)

present singular third person zero derives · participle present zero deriving · participle past zero derived · past zero derived · alternative zero-derive

  1. human sciencesTo derive a word from another word (of a differing part of speech) without modification; to perform zero derivation.

    Table 2. Thirty adjective lexemes which zero-derive into verbs.

    1986, Terence Odlin, “Markedness and the zero-derived denominal verb in English: synchronic, diachronic, and acquisition correlates”, in Fred Eckman, Edith A. Moravcsik, Jessica Wirth, editors, Markedness, →ISBN, page 160
    2 more examples

    […]assuming the presence of lexical classes in Kharia would force us to productively zero-derive verbs not from nouns but rather from entire NPs, i.e. not in the lexicon but in the syntax.

    2013 August 29, John Peterson, “Parts of speech in Kharia: a formal account”, in Jan Rijkhoff, Eva van Lier, editors, Flexible Word Classes: Typological studies of underspecified parts of speech, →ISBN, page 144

    Some adjectives zero derive from adverbs, e.g. daily, down, faraway, far out, monthly, up, way out, well off (note that many derive from a pair of adverbs).

    2014 February 3, Keith Allan, Linguistic Meaning (RLE Linguistics A: General Linguistics), →ISBN, Lexicon semantics, page 220

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

zero derive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zero%20derive

MLA

“zero derive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zero%20derive. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zero derive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zero%20derive.

Source: zero derive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.