English Explanatory Dictionary

ergative

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. With the subject of a transitive construction having grammatical cases or thematic relations different from those of an intransitive construction.
noun
  1. Ellipsis of ergative case (“a grammatical case used to indicate the agent of a transitive verb in ergative-absolutive languages”).
  2. An ergative verb or other expression.

Pronunciation

/ˈɜːɡətɪv/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ergative.wav ûr'gətĭv /ˈɝɡətɪv/ [-ɾɪv]

Word forms

ergative ergatives

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἐργᾰ́της (ergắtēs, “labourer, worker”) + English -ive (suffix meaning ‘belong or relating to; of the nature of; serving to; tending to’ forming adjectives).

Synonyms

elliptical

Antonyms

unergative

Related words

absolutive stative

Derived words

ergative-absolutive ergative case ergatively ergativeness ergative verb ergativity nonergative unergative
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