PASSIVE, in general, denotes something that suffers the action of another, called an agent or active power.
VOL. XVI. Part I.
In grammar, the verb or word that expresses this passion is termed a passive verb: which, in the learned languages, has a peculiar termination; as amor, docor, &c. in Latin; that is an r is added to the actives, amo, doceo; and, in the Greek, the inflection is made by changing ω into ειμαι; as παθω, ποιεσμαι, &c. But in the modern languages, the passive inflection is performed by means of auxiliary verbs, joined to the participle of the past tense; as, "I am praised," in Latin laudor, and in Greek επαινομαι; or, "I am loved," in Latin amor, and in Greek φιλοιομαι. Thus it appears that the auxiliary verb am, serves to form the passives of English verbs: and the same holds of the French; as, Je suis loué, "I am praised;" j'ai été loué, "I have been praised;" &c. See GRAMMAR.