intransitivepassive

The term intransitive passive refers to a voice construction found in some languages in which a verbal form that is morphologically passive is attached to an intransitive predicate. In such languages, the clause expresses that the event occurs to the subject, and there is typically no overt direct object. The agent, if present, may be omitted or expressed with an oblique marker or a separate argument.

Distinct from the passive of transitive verbs, which promotes the patient to subject while keeping a transitive valency, the intransitive passive often interacts with valency-changing operations, sometimes aligning with antipassive or middle-voice patterns. In many descriptions, "intransitive passive" is used to classify intransitive predicates that exhibit passive morphology or a passive-like alignment.

Cross-linguistically, the occurrence of intransitive passive is rarity and may be limited to particular language families or to certain analytic constructions, such as verb-initial or predicate-focused forms, with accompanying case-marking or clitic pronoun patterns to indicate agent suppression or absence.

Researchers use the label with varying definitions; some see it as a subtype of antipassive, others as a distinct phenomenon in voice systems. Because terminology differs across grammars, explicit description of morphology, syntax, and the existing alignment system is recommended when documenting an instance of intransitive passive.

See also: antipassive, passive voice, voice.