Gerundive

The gerundive is a term of grammar. There is no proper gerundive form in English, but it is a normal part of the verb in Latin, and has given many derivatives to the English language. These can usually be recognised by the endings -and[a] and -end[a] - although not all words that end like this began as gerundives, even if they are Latin. The general meaning is sometimes given, in old-fashioned English, as "meet to be...-ed", or in more modern form, "[that which] should be or is meant to be ...-ed".

• OED defines the relevant sense of gerundive (B. 2.) as: "In Latin grammar, a verbal adjective, of the nature of a passive participle, expressing the idea of necessity or fitness: its suffix is the same as that of the gerund. Hence applied to forms of like meaning in other languages."

See also Latin gerundives in English.