ERGATIVE LANGUAGE
(noun)Definitions
There is 1 meaning of the phrase
Ergative Language.
Ergative 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-absolutive languageExample Sentences
"In an ergative language, the subject of intransitive verbs is marked the same as the object of transitive verbs."
"This ergative language exhibits split ergativity, where some verbs behave ergatively and others behave nominatively."
"The ergative language of Australia is known for its complex verbal morphology."
"In Basque, an ergative language, the verb agrees with the subject and the direct object."
"An interesting feature of this ergative language is the use of case markings instead of word order to indicate grammatical relations."
