(of verbs )动词 able to be used in both a transitive and an intransitive way with the same meaning, where the object of the transitive verb is the same as the subject of the intransitive verb 作格的(可在不改变词义的情况下同时用作及物和不及物的动词,作及物动词时的宾语与作不及物动词时的主语一致) The verb ‘grow’ is ergative because you can say ‘She grew flowers in her garden’ or ‘Flowers grew in her garden’. grow 为作格动词,因为既可以说 She grew flowers in her garden,也可以说 Flowers grew in her garden。
Word Origin1950s: from Greek ergatēs ‘worker’ (from ergon ‘work’) + -ive.