formans

Synonym of formative (“language unit, typically a morph, that has a morphological function”).

These facts then clearly evidence such elements as enclitical particles which exercise certain morphological and/or syntactical functions, but which have not yet developed into actual suffixes obliged to conform to sound-harmony and the general accentuation pattern. Some elements of this type are the formantia of the cas. compar. in -däg, and the cas. aequat. (prosecut., mensurat., terminat.) in -ča/-čä in the nominal category, and the formans of the negative aspect in -ma-/-mä- in the verbal category.

In Cowgill’s […] convincing opinion the basic formans of this PIE mediopassive was an -o(-) originally added to endings identical with those of the perfect (minus -e where applicable;[…]), which only had a single set of endings undifferentiated as to active/middle in PIE.

A small river in eastern France.