zero ending

noun

The absence of an ending after a noun‐stem in a language in which endings are normally applied; often written as ∅.

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Meanings

nounzero ending (plural zero endings)

plural zero endings

  1. grammarThe absence of an ending after a noun‐stem in a language in which endings are normally applied; often written as ∅.

    The Polish word for "cat" is "kot". Its genitive form is "kota", which has the ending "–a". Because the nominative form consists of the stem without an ending, it can be said that "kot" has the zero ending. In a table listing the endings one could hence write: "Nominative: –∅, Genitive: –a".

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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