PASSIVE

PASSIVE, in general, denotes something that suffers the action of another, which is called an agent or active power. In grammar, the verb or word which expresses this passion is termed a passive verb, and, in the learned languages, has a peculiar termination; as, amor, doceor, legor, in Latin, that is, an r is added to the actives, amo, doceo, lego; and, in

the Greek, the inflection is made by changing $\backslash omega$ into $\backslash alpha$, as $\backslash text\{ῶ\nu \tau \epsilon \varsigma \}$, $\backslash text\{ῶ\nu \tau \alpha \iota \}$, and $\backslash text\{ῶ\nu \tau \alpha \iota \}$, $\backslash text\{ῶ\nu \tau \alpha \iota \}$. But in the modern languages the passive inflection is effected by means of auxiliary verbs, joined to the participle of the past tense; as, I am praised, in Latin laudor, and in Greek $\backslash text\{ἐ\pi \alpha ί\nu \omega \mu \alpha \iota \}$; or, I am loved, in Latin amor, and in Greek $\backslash text\{\phi \iota \lambda oί\mu \alpha \iota \}$. Thus it appears that the auxiliary verb am serves to form the passives of English verbs: and the same thing holds of the French, as Je suis loué, I am praised; j'ai été loué, I have been praised, and so forth. See the article GRAMMAR.