File:Lugal_Kiengi_Kiuri,_King_of_Sumer_and_Akkad,_on_a_seal_of_Shulgi.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
ergative case
Sign in to saveAlso known as ergativity, ERG
grammatical case that identifies the subject of a transitive verb in ergative–absolutive languages
~3 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Cuneiform inscription Lugal Kiengi Kiuri 𒈗𒆠𒂗𒄀𒆠𒌵, "King of Sumer and Akkad", on a seal of Sumerian king Shulgi (r. c. 2094–2047 BCE). The final ke4 𒆤 is the composite of -k (genitive case) and -e (ergative case).
In grammar, the ergative case (abbreviated erg) is the grammatical case that identifies a nominal phrase as the agent of a transitive verb in ergative–absolutive languages.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “ergative case” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.