gerund

n linguistics, gerund (abbreviated ger) is a term used to refer to various non-finite verb forms in various languages:^[1]

• As applied to English, it refers to the usage of a verb (in its -ing form) as a noun (for example, the verb "learning" in the sentence "Learning is an easy process for some").^[2]
• As applied to French, it refers either to the adverbial participle—also called the gerundive—or to the present adjectival participle.
• As applied to Hebrew, it refers either to the verb's action noun, or to the part of the infinitive following the infinitival prefix (also called the infinitival construct).
• As applied to Latin, it is formed similarly to the present active participle as in English. However, the –ns becomes an –ndus, and the preceding ā or ē is shortened (see Latin conjugation.)
• As applied to Japanese, it designates verb and verbals adjective forms in dictionary form paired with the referral particle no, which turns the verbal into a concept or property noun.
• As applied to Portuguese, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called the gerúndio.
• As applied to Romanian, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called the gerunziu, formed by appending -ând or -ind, to the verb stem, like in cântând/fugind".
• As applied to Spanish, it refers to an adverbial participle (a verbal adverb), called in Spanish the gerundio.
• As applied to Turkish, it refers to the Turkish verbal nouns formed by appending -ma or -me, depending on vowel harmony, to the verb stem, like in "Yapma değil, Avrupa malı bu." ("It is not a fake, but produced in Europe" - not to confuse with the negational -ma postfix.) The Turkish gerund is rather similar in meaning and use to the English gerund.
• As applied to West Frisian, it refers to one of two verb forms frequently referred to as infinitives, this one ending in -n. It shows up in nominalizations and is selected by perception verbs.

source :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerund