ERGATIVE-ABSOLUTIVE LANGUAGE
(noun)Definitions
There is 1 meaning of the phrase
Ergative-Absolutive Language.
Ergative-Absolutive Language - as a noun
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.
Example: "An ergative language maintains a syntactic or morphological equivalence (such as the same word order or grammatical case) for the object of a transitive verb and the single core argument of an intransitive verb, while treating the agent of a transitive verb differently."
Synonyms (Exact Relations)
ergative languageExample Sentences
"In the ergative-absolutive language, the subject of an intransitive verb is treated differently than the subject of a transitive verb."
"In this ergative-absolutive language, the noun marking on a verb changes depending on the case role of the argument."
"One characteristic of an ergative-absolutive language is the use of different morphological markers for the subject and object of a transitive verb."
"The word order in an ergative-absolutive language often differs from that of a nominative-accusative language."
"In an ergative-absolutive language, the absolutive case is typically unmarked, while the ergative case is marked."
Word Variations & Relations
A-Z Proximities
ergataner10ergataners11ergate7ergates8ergative12 ergative-absolutive language
ergatives13ergativities16ergativity17ergatocracies18ergatocracy19
