Verbs NEUTER, by some grammarians called intransitive verbs, are those which govern nothing, and that are neither active nor passive. See VERB.
When the action expressed by the verb has no object to fall upon, but the verb alone supplies the whole idea of the action; the verb is said to be neuter: as, I sleep, thou yawnest, he sneezes, we walk, ye run, they stand still.
Some divide verbs neuter into, 1. Such as do not signify any action, but a quality; as albet, "it is white;" or a situation, as sedet, "he sits;" or have some relation to place; as adeft, "he is present;" or to some other state or attribute, as regnat, "he rules," &c. And, 2. Those that do signify actions, though those such as do not pass into any subject different from the actor; as to dine, to sup, to play, &c.
But this latter kind sometimes cease to be neuter, and commence active; especially in Greek and Latin, when a subject is given them: as, vivere vitam, ambulare viam, pugnare pugnam. Thus the old French poets say, Souprier son tourment; the English, to fight his woes, &c.
But this is observed only to obtain where something particular is to be expressed, not contained, in the verb: as, vivere vitam beatam, to live a happy life; pugnare bonam pugnam, to fight a good fight, &c.
According to the abbot de Dangeau, verbi neuter may be divided into active and passive; the first, those that form their tenses in English, by the auxiliary verb to have; in French, by avoir. The second, those that form them in English with the verb to be; in French etre.—Thus, to sleep, to yawn, dormir and esternuer, are neuters active.—To come, and to arrive, are neuters passive.