ergative

[ ur-guh-tiv ]

adjective

1. Grammar.
   1. (in certain languages, as Basque, Inuit, 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.
   2. similar to such a case in function or meaning, especially 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. Linguistics. 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. Compare accusative ( def 2 ).

noun

, Grammar.

1. the ergative case.
2. a word in the ergative case.
3. a form or construction of similar function or meaning.

ergative

/ ˈɜːɡətɪv /

adjective

1. denoting a type of verb that takes the same noun as either direct object or as subject, with equivalent meaning. Thus, "fuse" is an ergative verb: "He fused the lights" and "The lights fused" have equivalent meaning
2. denoting a case of nouns in certain languages, for example, Inuktitut or Basque, marking a noun used interchangeably as either the direct object of a transitive verb or the subject of an intransitive verb
3. denoting a language that has ergative verbs or ergative nouns

noun

1. an ergative verb
2. an ergative noun or case of nouns

Other Words From

• er·ga·tiv·i·ty [ur-g, uh, -, tiv, -i-tee] noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ergative¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from Greek ergát(ēs) “worker” ( ergate ) + -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of ergative¹

C20: from Greek ergatēs a workman + -ive

Example Sentences

Other exceptions to Chomsky’s theory came from the study of “ergative” languages, such as Basque or Urdu, in which the way a sentence subject is used is very different from that in many European languages, again challenging the idea of a universal grammar.

From Salon