gerundive

Why this word is great

GERUNDIVE — [Noun] A verbal adjective that describes obligation or necessity, equivalent in form to the future passive participle. From Latin gerundīvum ("gerundive"), from gerundium ("gerund"), from gerundus ("which is to be carried out"), the future passive participle (gerundive) of gerō ("carry, bear"). Unlike "gerund" (a verbal noun that names an action) or "participle" (a verbal adjective describing a state or completed act), the gerundive is the grammatical embodiment of duty—an action not yet done but looming. It is the weight of "a letter to be written," the solemnity of "a vow to be kept," or the quiet urgency of "a bridge to be crossed." Language, too, has its debts, and the gerundive is the syntax of what cannot be escaped.