The Cognātarium: Appendix D
Frequentative Verbs
A frequentative is a verb that expresses continuous or repeated action. Frequentatives are derived from other verbs or words that describe or relate to the meaning of the frequentatives. Frequentatives in English are formed by adding the suffix ‒le to the verb or other word that expresses the basic action or related meaning. Note that not all verbs that end in -le are frequentatives; some are diminutives. Some verbs are frequentative in form, but the basic word does not exist or has been lost in modern English. These are denoted by a dash (—) in the right-hand column.
| Frequentative | Basic Verb or Related Word |
|---|---|
| baffle | — |
| bedraggled | drag |
| bustle | — |
| chuckle | chuck |
| crackle | crack |
| crumble | crumb |
| cuddle | — |
| curdle | curd |
| dangle | — |
| dawdle | — |
| dazzle | daze |
| doodle | — (do?) |
| dribble | drip |
| drizzle | — |
| fondle | fond |
| grumble | — |
| haggle | hag (cut wood) |
| handle | hand |
| hassle | — (harass?) |
| hobble | hop |
| jiggle | jig |
| jostle | joust |
| meddle | mix |
| mingle | — |
| muffle | muff |
| nibble | nip |
| niggle | niggard |
| nuzzle | nose |
| prattle | prate |
| prickle | prick |
| ramble | roam |
| rankle | — |
| rattle | — |
| scrabble | scrape |
| scramble | scram |
| scribble | scribe |
| scuffle | scuff |
| scuttle (to scurry) | scud |
| settle | set |
| shuffle | shove |
| shuttle | shoot |
| sniffle | sniff |
| snuggle | snug |
| sparkle | spark |
| sprinkle | spring (water) |
| startle | start |
| stickle | — |
| stifle | — |
| stipple | — |
| straddle | stride |
| straggle | — |
| strangle | — |
| struggle | — |
| suckle | suck |
| swaddle | swathe |
| tingle | ting (sound) |
| tinkle | ting (sound) |
| toggle | tug |
| tootle | toot |
| trample | tramp |
| tremble | tremor |
| trickle | — |
| waddle | wade |
| waggle | wag |
| wrangle | wring |
| wrestle | wrest |
| wriggle | — |
| wrinkle | wring |
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