ergativity

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UK/ɜː(ɹ)ɡəˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/

noun

The property of a grammar's (or, by extension, a language's) being ergative; the attribute of possessing a grammatical pattern such that the object of a transitive verb is treated the same way as the subject of an intransitive one, while the subject of the transitive verb is treated differently.

Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounergativity (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesThe property of a grammar's (or, by extension, a language's) being ergative; the attribute of possessing a grammatical pattern such that the object of a transitive verb is treated the same way as the subject of an intransitive one, while the subject of the transitive verb is treated differently.

    Ergativity is thus complementary to the familiar grammatical pattern of accusativity, in which one case (nominative) marks both intransitive and transitive subject, with another case (accusative) being employed for transitive object.

    1994, R. M. W. Dixon, Ergativity, Cambridge University Press, page 1
    2 more examples

    We can speak of ergative/absolutive organization whenever intransitive subjects pattern with transitive objects (to the exclusion of transitive subjects). So defined, ergativity is independent of case marking and has many linguistic manifestations, some being observable in any given language. At the same time, ergativity competes with accusativity even in languages where it represents the predominant pattern.

    1991, Ronald W. Langacker, Foundations of Cognitive Grammar: Descriptive Application, Volume 2, Stanford University Press, page 386

    2000, Javier Rivas, Ergativity and Transitive Gradients in the Accusative and Infinitive Construction, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Imprenta Universitaría, page 153, Apart from the types of split ergativity-accusativity dealt with in the previous section, there are languages which show degrees of ergativity in their morphology and also —although less frequently— in their syntax, […] . Actually, Dixon (1994: 172) claims that syntactic ergativity is much stranger cross-linguistically than some degree of morphological ergativity. […] There are many languages in the world which show some degree of ergativity.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
ergativeness

Origin

From ergative + -ity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch ergativiteit
  • ergativiteitlinguistics: structuring property of grammar
Finnish ergatiivisuus
  • ergatiivisuuslinguistics: structuring property of grammar
German Ergativität
  • Ergativitätlinguistics: structuring property of grammar
Italian ergatività
  • ergativitàlinguistics: structuring property of grammar
Polish gramatyka ergatywna
  • gramatyka ergatywnalinguistics: structuring property of grammar
Spanish ergatividad
  • ergatividadlinguistics: structuring property of grammar
Cite this entry
APA

ergativity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergativity

MLA

“ergativity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergativity. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ergativity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ergativity.

Source: ergativity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.