diff --git a/mercurial/obsutil.py b/mercurial/obsutil.py
--- a/mercurial/obsutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/obsutil.py
@@ -590,3 +590,14 @@ def successorsandmarkers(repo, ctx):
         values.append({'successors': sset, 'markers': sset.markers})
 
     return values
+
+def successorsetverb(successorset):
+    """ Return the verb summarizing the successorset
+    """
+    if not successorset:
+        verb = 'pruned'
+    elif len(successorset) == 1:
+        verb = 'rewritten'
+    else:
+        verb = 'split'
+    return verb
diff --git a/mercurial/templater.py b/mercurial/templater.py
--- a/mercurial/templater.py
+++ b/mercurial/templater.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from . import (
     encoding,
     error,
     minirst,
+    obsutil,
     parser,
     pycompat,
     registrar,
@@ -849,6 +850,22 @@ def mod(context, mapping, args):
     func = lambda a, b: a % b
     return runarithmetic(context, mapping, (func, args[0], args[1]))
 
+@templatefunc('obsfateverb(successors)')
+def obsfateverb(context, mapping, args):
+    """Compute obsfate related information based on successors (EXPERIMENTAL)"""
+    if len(args) != 1:
+        # i18n: "obsfateverb" is a keyword
+        raise error.ParseError(_("obsfateverb expects one arguments"))
+
+    successors = evalfuncarg(context, mapping, args[0])
+
+    try:
+        return obsutil.successorsetverb(successors)
+    except TypeError:
+        # i18n: "obsfateverb" is a keyword
+        errmsg = _("obsfateverb first argument should be countable")
+        raise error.ParseError(errmsg)
+
 @templatefunc('relpath(path)')
 def relpath(context, mapping, args):
     """Convert a repository-absolute path into a filesystem path relative to
diff --git a/tests/test-obsmarker-template.t b/tests/test-obsmarker-template.t
--- a/tests/test-obsmarker-template.t
+++ b/tests/test-obsmarker-template.t
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ Global setup
   > stabilization=all
   > [templates]
   > obsfatesuccessors = " as {join(successors, ", ")}"
-  > obsfate = "rewritten{obsfatesuccessors}; "
+  > obsfateverb = "{obsfateverb(successors)}"
+  > obsfate = "{obsfateverb}{obsfatesuccessors}; "
   > [alias]
   > tlog = log -G -T '{node|short}\
   >     {if(predecessors, "\n  Predecessors: {predecessors}")}\
@@ -318,7 +319,7 @@ Predecessors template should show curren
   o  337fec4d2edc
   |
   | @  471597cad322
-  |/     Obsfate: rewritten as 2:337fec4d2edc, 3:f257fde29c7a;
+  |/     Obsfate: split as 2:337fec4d2edc, 3:f257fde29c7a;
   o  ea207398892e
   
   $ hg up f257fde29c7a
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ with --hidden
   o  337fec4d2edc
   |
   | x  471597cad322
-  |/     Obsfate: rewritten as 2:337fec4d2edc, 3:f257fde29c7a;
+  |/     Obsfate: split as 2:337fec4d2edc, 3:f257fde29c7a;
   o  ea207398892e
   
   $ hg fatelogjson --hidden
@@ -1528,7 +1529,7 @@ Check templates
   o  dd800401bd8c
   |
   | x  9bd10a0775e4
-  |/     Obsfate: rewritten as 5:dd800401bd8c, 6:4a004186e638, 7:ba2ed02b0c9a;
+  |/     Obsfate: split as 5:dd800401bd8c, 6:4a004186e638, 7:ba2ed02b0c9a;
   o  f897c6137566
   |
   | x  0dec01379d3b
@@ -1603,7 +1604,7 @@ Check templates
   o  dd800401bd8c
   |
   | @  9bd10a0775e4
-  |/     Obsfate: rewritten as 5:dd800401bd8c, 9:0b997eb7ceee, 10:eceed8f98ffc; rewritten as 5:dd800401bd8c, 8:b18bc8331526, 10:eceed8f98ffc;
+  |/     Obsfate: split as 5:dd800401bd8c, 9:0b997eb7ceee, 10:eceed8f98ffc; split as 5:dd800401bd8c, 8:b18bc8331526, 10:eceed8f98ffc;
   o  f897c6137566
   |
   o  ea207398892e