ergative

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɜːgətɪv/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(ûr′gə tiv)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
er•ga•tive  (ûr′gə tiv),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. Grammar
    • Grammar(in certain languages, as Basque, Eskimo, and some Caucasian languages) noting a case that indicates the subject of a transitive verb and is distinct from the case indicating the subject of an intransitive verb.
    • similar to such a case in function or meaning, esp. in indicating an agent, as the subject She in She opened the door, in contrast to the subject The door in The door opened.
  2. Oceanography, Linguistics[Ling.]pertaining to a type of language that has an ergative case or in which the direct object of a transitive verb has the same form as the subject of an intransitive verb. Cf. accusative (def. 2).

n. [Gram.]
  1. Grammarthe ergative case.
  2. Grammara word in the ergative case.
  3. Grammara form or construction of similar function or meaning.
  • Greek ergát(ēs) worker (see ergate) + -ive
  • 1945–50
er′ga•tiv′i•ty, n. 

'ergative' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
accusative

Forum discussions with the word(s) "ergative" in the title:


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