Detransitivization

Detransitivization is a linguistic process in which a verb that is normally transitive loses one of its core arguments, typically the direct object, resulting in a reduced valency and an intransitive construction. In practice, this can produce an intransitive verb form, a reflexive or middle-voice reading, or an impersonal construction, depending on the language.

The causes and realizations of detransitivization are varied. It may occur through historical grammaticalization, where an object becomes incorporated into the verb’s form or into the surrounding morphological system; through the development of intransitive or middle-voice constructions; or through syntactic reanalysis that drops the object under certain conditions. Detransitivization is frequently discussed in relation to voice alternations, such as inchoative (cause to become) or middle constructions, and it often interacts with other valency-changing processes like causativization.

Detransitivization is attested across languages with different syntactic architectures, including those with rich verbal morphology, active-passive or voice systems, and constructions that allow object dropping under discourse or focus conditions. It can reflect a language’s typological tendencies toward valency reduction, encroachment of object semantics into the verb, or diachronic changes that reshape argument structure.

Related concepts include valency, transitivity, intransitivity, ambitransitivity, and causative vs. inchoative alternations. Detransitivization contributes to the broader study of how languages reorganize event structure and argument realization, illustrating how verbs can shift in how they relate to participants in events.