1. Plural of ergative. In linguistics, a verb or construction in which the subject of an intransitive clause corresponds to the object of a transitive clause, rather than the subject.
Usage: linguistics; technical term
2. Plural of ergative. In ergative-absolutive languages, the grammatical case marking the agent of a transitive verb.
Usage: linguistics; grammar

Examples

• In Basque, ergatives mark the subject of transitive verbs.
• Linguists study ergatives to understand how different languages encode grammatical relationships.
• The ergatives in this language family show consistent patterns across dialects.
• Some ergatives align with nominative-accusative systems in translation.
• Ergatives are a key feature of many indigenous Australian languages.