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, doceor, &c. in Latin; that is an r is added to the actives amo, doceo; and, in the Greek, the inflection is made by changing u into αι; as τω, τωμαι, &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 επαιζομαι; or, "I am loved," in Latin amor, and in Greek φιλομαι. 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.