diff -ru bin/sh.orig/eval.c bin/sh/eval.c
--- bin/sh.orig/eval.c	Wed Aug  3 20:11:02 2005
+++ bin/sh/eval.c	Thu Aug  4 09:53:53 2005
@@ -971,7 +971,9 @@
 	struct jmploc loc, *old;
 	struct strlist *sp;
 	char *path;
-	int ch;
+	int ch, i;
+	int verbose = 0;
+	int err = 0;
 
 	for (sp = cmdenviron; sp ; sp = sp->next)
 		setvareq(sp->text, VEXPORT|VSTACK);
@@ -979,11 +981,17 @@
 
 	optind = optreset = 1;
 	opterr = 0;
-	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "p")) != -1) {
+	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "pvV")) != -1) {
 		switch (ch) {
 		case 'p':
 			path = stdpath;
 			break;
+		case 'v':
+			verbose = VERBOSE_NAME;
+			break;
+		case 'V':
+			verbose = VERBOSE_DESCR;
+			break;
 		case '?':
 		default:
 			error("unknown option: -%c", optopt);
@@ -993,14 +1001,25 @@
 	argv += optind;
 
 	if (argc != 0) {
-		old = handler;
-		handler = &loc;
-		if (setjmp(handler->loc) == 0)
-			shellexec(argv, environment(), path, 0);
-		handler = old;
-		if (exception == EXEXEC)
-			exit(exerrno);
-		exraise(exception);
+		if (verbose > 0)
+			for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+				if (verbose == VERBOSE_NAME)
+					err = name_command(argv[i]);
+				if (verbose == VERBOSE_DESCR) 
+					err = describe_command(argv[i]);
+				
+				return (err);
+			}
+		else {
+			old = handler;
+			handler = &loc;
+			if (setjmp(handler->loc) == 0)
+				shellexec(argv, environment(), path, 0);
+			handler = old;
+			if (exception == EXEXEC)
+				exit(exerrno);
+			exraise(exception);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/*
diff -ru bin/sh.orig/eval.h bin/sh/eval.h
--- bin/sh.orig/eval.h	Wed Aug  3 20:11:02 2005
+++ bin/sh/eval.h	Thu Aug  4 09:10:48 2005
@@ -68,3 +68,7 @@
 #define SKIPCONT	2
 #define SKIPFUNC	3
 #define SKIPFILE	4
+
+/* verbose levels */
+#define	VERBOSE_NAME	5
+#define	VERBOSE_DESCR	6
diff -ru bin/sh.orig/exec.c bin/sh/exec.c
--- bin/sh.orig/exec.c	Wed Aug  3 20:11:02 2005
+++ bin/sh/exec.c	Thu Aug  4 10:04:53 2005
@@ -100,6 +100,146 @@
 STATIC struct tblentry *cmdlookup(char *, int);
 STATIC void delete_cmd_entry(void);
 
+int
+describe_command(char *command)
+{
+	struct cmdentry entry;
+	struct tblentry *cmdp;
+	char **pp;
+	struct alias *ap;
+	int error = 0;
+	extern char *const parsekwd[];
+
+	out1str(command);
+	/* First look at the keywords */
+	for (pp = (char **)parsekwd; *pp; pp++)
+		if (**pp == *command && equal(*pp, command))
+			break;
+
+	if (*pp) {
+		out1str(" is a shell keyword\n");
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	/* Then look at the aliases */
+	if ((ap = lookupalias(command, 1)) != NULL) {
+		out1fmt(" is an alias for %s\n", ap->val);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	/* Then check if it is a tracked alias */
+	if ((cmdp = cmdlookup(command, 0)) != NULL) {
+		entry.cmdtype = cmdp->cmdtype;
+		entry.u = cmdp->param;
+	} else
+		/* Finally use brute force */
+		find_command(command, &entry, 0, pathval());
+
+	switch (entry.cmdtype) {
+	case CMDNORMAL:
+		if (strchr(command, '/') == NULL) {
+			char *path = pathval(), *name;
+			int j = entry.u.index;
+			do {
+				name = padvance(&path, command);
+				stunalloc(name);
+			} while (--j >= 0);
+			out1fmt(" is%s %s\n",
+			    cmdp ? " a tracked alias for" : "", name);
+		} else {
+			if (access(command, X_OK) == 0)
+				out1fmt(" is %s\n", command);
+			else
+				out1fmt(": %s\n", strerror(errno));
+		}
+		break;
+	
+	case CMDFUNCTION:
+		out1str(" is a shell function\n");
+		break;
+		
+	case CMDBUILTIN:
+		out1str(" is a shell builtin\n");
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		out1str(": not found\n");
+		error |= 127;
+		break;
+	}
+	return (error);
+}
+
+int
+name_command(char *command)
+{
+	struct cmdentry entry;
+	struct tblentry *cmdp;
+	char **pp;
+	struct alias *ap;
+	int error = 0;
+	extern char *const parsekwd[];
+
+	/* First look at the keywords */
+	for (pp = (char **)parsekwd; *pp; pp++)
+		if (**pp == *command && equal(*pp, command))
+			break;
+
+	if (*pp) {
+		/* for shell keywords: just print it */
+		out1fmt("%s\n", command);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	/* Then look at the aliases */
+	if ((ap = lookupalias(command, 1)) != NULL) {
+		/* for aliases: alias command='value' */
+		out1fmt("alias %s='%s'\n", command, ap->val);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	/* Then check if it is a tracked alias */
+	if ((cmdp = cmdlookup(command, 0)) != NULL) {
+		entry.cmdtype = cmdp->cmdtype;
+		entry.u = cmdp->param;
+	}
+	else
+		/* Finally use brute force */
+		find_command(command, &entry, 0, pathval());
+
+	switch (entry.cmdtype) {
+	case CMDNORMAL:
+		if (strchr(command, '/') == NULL) {
+			char *path = pathval(), *name;
+			int j = entry.u.index;
+			do {
+				name = padvance(&path, command);
+				stunalloc(name);
+			} while (--j >= 0);
+			out1fmt("%s\n", name);
+		} else {
+			if (access(command, X_OK) == 0)
+				out1fmt("%s\n", command);
+			else
+				out1fmt("%s: %s\n", command, strerror(errno));
+		}
+		break;
+	
+	case CMDFUNCTION:
+		out1fmt("%s\n", command);
+		break;
+		
+	case CMDBUILTIN:
+		out1fmt("%s\n", command);
+		break;
+
+	default:
+		out1fmt("%s: not found\n", command);
+		error |= 127;
+		break;
+	}
+	return (error);
+}
 
 
 /*
@@ -711,74 +851,11 @@
 int
 typecmd(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-	struct cmdentry entry;
-	struct tblentry *cmdp;
-	char **pp;
-	struct alias *ap;
 	int i;
 	int error = 0;
-	extern char *const parsekwd[];
-
-	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
-		out1str(argv[i]);
-		/* First look at the keywords */
-		for (pp = (char **)parsekwd; *pp; pp++)
-			if (**pp == *argv[i] && equal(*pp, argv[i]))
-				break;
-
-		if (*pp) {
-			out1str(" is a shell keyword\n");
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		/* Then look at the aliases */
-		if ((ap = lookupalias(argv[i], 1)) != NULL) {
-			out1fmt(" is an alias for %s\n", ap->val);
-			continue;
-		}
-
-		/* Then check if it is a tracked alias */
-		if ((cmdp = cmdlookup(argv[i], 0)) != NULL) {
-			entry.cmdtype = cmdp->cmdtype;
-			entry.u = cmdp->param;
-		}
-		else {
-			/* Finally use brute force */
-			find_command(argv[i], &entry, 0, pathval());
-		}
-
-		switch (entry.cmdtype) {
-		case CMDNORMAL: {
-			if (strchr(argv[i], '/') == NULL) {
-				char *path = pathval(), *name;
-				int j = entry.u.index;
-				do {
-					name = padvance(&path, argv[i]);
-					stunalloc(name);
-				} while (--j >= 0);
-				out1fmt(" is%s %s\n",
-				    cmdp ? " a tracked alias for" : "", name);
-			} else {
-				if (access(argv[i], X_OK) == 0)
-					out1fmt(" is %s\n", argv[i]);
-				else
-					out1fmt(": %s\n", strerror(errno));
-			}
-			break;
-		}
-		case CMDFUNCTION:
-			out1str(" is a shell function\n");
-			break;
 
-		case CMDBUILTIN:
-			out1str(" is a shell builtin\n");
-			break;
-
-		default:
-			out1str(": not found\n");
-			error |= 127;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-	return error;
+	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+		error = describe_command(argv[i]);
+	
+	return (error);
 }
diff -ru bin/sh.orig/exec.h bin/sh/exec.h
--- bin/sh.orig/exec.h	Wed Aug  3 20:11:02 2005
+++ bin/sh/exec.h	Thu Aug  4 10:05:46 2005
@@ -65,3 +65,5 @@
 int unsetfunc(char *);
 int typecmd(int, char **);
 void clearcmdentry(int);
+int describe_command(char*);
+int name_command(char *);