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Intransitive vs Unergative - What's the difference?

intransitive | unergative | Hyponyms |

Intransitive is a hyponym of unergative.


As adjectives the difference between intransitive and unergative

is that intransitive is (grammar|of a verb) not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object while unergative is (linguistics|of a verb) intransitive and having an agent as its subject.

As a noun unergative is

(linguistics) an unergative verb.

intransitive

English

Adjective

(-)
  • (grammar, of a verb) Not transitive: not having, or not taking, a direct object.
    • The word "drink" is a transitive verb in "they drink wine", but an intransitive one in "they drink often."
  • (rare) Not transitive or passing further; kept; detained.
    • And then it is for the image's sake and so far is intransitive ; but whatever is paid more to the image is transitive and passes further. — Jeremy Taylor.

    Antonyms

    * transitive

    See also

    * ergative ----

    unergative

    English

    (Unergative verb)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (linguistics, of a verb) Intransitive and having an agent as its subject.

    • Antonyms

    * unaccusative * transitive

    Hyponyms

    * intransitive

    Related terms

    * ergative

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (linguistics) An unergative verb.
  • * 1998 , Eloise Jelinek, Voice and Transitivity as Functional Projections in Yaqui , in Miriam Butt and Wilhelm Geuder, eds., “The Projection of Arguments”
    • We have seen that Unergatives' and Unaccusatives differ in 1) permitting the derivation of an Impersonal Passive, and 2) in licensing purpose clauses, since ' Unergatives have active subjects, and Unaccusatives do not.

    Antonyms

    * unaccusative

    References

    * “unergative verb” in the Lexicon of Linguistics (Utrecht institute of Linguistics)