Erikativ

German

Etymology

Named for Erika Fuchs, who translated Mickey Mouse comics into German and used the form frequently.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈeːʀikatiːf/

Noun

Erikativ m

1. (humorous) the inflective verb form; the "erikative"/"ericative", which is the verb stem without any personal ending, and which is used to imitate a sound or indicate that an action is occurring

Usage notes

Lach and seufz are examples of the form; these words are used where someone writing in English chatspeak would write *laugh* or *sigh*.