Definition
In grammar, describing a language case that marks the subject of a transitive verb (one with a direct object), used in some languages like Basque and Cherokee.
Etymology
From 'ergates' (worker) plus '-ive,' the term was coined by linguists to describe a grammatical pattern found in about 25% of world languages, initially confusing because it flips the typical subject-object marking.
Kelly Says
Ergative languages flip the script—instead of treating active subjects the same way, they group the object of 'I hit you' with the subject of 'I sleep,' which sounds weird until you realize they're tracking WHO DOES WORK versus WHO RECEIVES IT.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
Ergative
er-ga-ti-v
BNবাংলা
অর্গাতিভ
or-ga-ti-v
CACatalà
ergatiu
er-ga-ti-u
CSČeština
ergativní
er-ga-ti-vi
DADansk
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
DEDeutsch
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
ELΕλληνικά
εργοδραμικός
er-go-dra-mi-kos
ESEspañol
ergativo
er-ga-ti-vo
FISuomi
ergatiivinen
er-ga-ti-i-vi-nen
FRFrançais
ergatif
er-ga-ti-f
HEעברית
פעולתי
pa-a-ol-ti
HIहिन्दी
क्रियात्मक
kriya-tmak
HUMagyar
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
IDBahasa Indonesia
ergatif
er-ga-tif
ITItaliano
ergativo
er-ga-ti-vo
KO한국어
에르가티브
e-er-ga-ti-beup
MRMR
क्रियात्मक
kriya-tmak
MSBahasa Melayu
ergatif
er-ga-tif
MYမြန်မာ
ergative
er-ga-ti-v
NLNederlands
ergatief
er-ga-tief
NONorsk
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
PLPolski
ergatywny
er-ga-ty-v-ny
PTPortuguês
ergativo
er-ga-ti-vo
RORomână
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
RUРусский
эргативный
er-ga-ti-vi-y
SVSvenska
ergativ
er-ga-tiv
SWKiswahili
ergative
er-ga-ti-v
TAதமிழ்
செயல்முறை
se-yal-mur-ai
TEతెలుగు
కార్యకర్త
ka-arya-kar-ta
THไทย
ergative
er-ga-ti-v
TRTürkçe
ergatif
er-ga-tif
UKУкраїнська
егтативний
er-ga-ti-vi-y
URاردو
क्रियात्मک
kriya-tmak
VITiếng Việt
ergative
er-ga-ti-v