adjective
- Of or relating to a verb form that expresses an action performed by the subject for their own benefit or that affects the subject.
Usage: linguistics; grammar; technical
noun
- A verb form or voice that is mediopassive in nature; a middle voice construction.
Usage: linguistics; grammar; technical
Examples
- In Ancient Greek, the mediopassive voice was used to indicate that the subject performed an action with a direct interest in the outcome.
- The mediopassive form of the verb suggests the subject is both agent and beneficiary of the action.
- Linguists study mediopassive constructions to understand how languages express reflexive and reciprocal meanings.
- The mediopassive voice occupies a grammatical space between the active and passive voices.
- Some Indo-European languages preserve mediopassive distinctions that have been lost in modern English.