A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

agglutinative 17
While affricates are phonetically easy to define, it is often a problem for
phonological analysis to decide whether a sequence of plosive and fricative
elements constitutes a single functional unit, or is best analysed as two separate
units. English [Ä], for example, occurs initially, medially and finally in a word,
readily contrasting with other phonemes, e.g. chip/sip, richer/ripper, patch/pat.
On the other hand [tr], while occurring initially and medially (trip/sip, petrol/
petal), does not occur finally. Further, [tθ] only occurs finally (eighth/eight).
Phonetically, all could be considered affricates; but, phonologically, there would
be difference of opinion as to whether those with a restricted distribution
could usefully be identified in this way.
affricated (adj.), affrication (n.)
see affricate
African-American English
see vernacular
agent (n.)
see agentive
agentive (adj./n.) (AGT) A term used in grammatical description to refer to
a form or construction whose typical function in a sentence is to specify
the means whereby a particular action came about (the agent). In some languages,
the term is used as one of the cases for nouns, along with accusative, etc. In
English, the term has especial relevance with reference to the passive construction,
where the agent may be expressed or unexpressed (agentless) (e.g. the man
was bitten [by a snake]). In active constructions in English, the agent is usually
the grammatical subject, but in some sentences (and often in some other languages)
a more complex statement of agentive function is required (as in such
sentences as The window broke (see ergative) and We ran the car out of
petrol). ‘Agentive’ (later, ‘agent’) has a special status in several linguistic theories,
such as case grammar and government-binding theory, where it is defined
similarly to the above, but is seen as one of a fixed set of semantic cases or roles
(theta roles), along with objective, dative, etc. The term counter-agent
is also used in the context of case grammar. See semantic role.
agentive passive
agentless (adj.)
see passive
see agentive
agglutinating (adj.), agglutination (n.)
see agglutinative
agglutinative (adj.) A term which characterizes a type of language established
by comparative linguistics using structural (as opposed to diachronic)
criteria, and focusing on the characteristics of the word: in agglutinative or
agglutinating languages, words typically contain a linear sequence of morphs –
as seen in English dis/establish/ment – and thus contrast with isolating and
inflectional languages. As always in such classifications, the categories are
not clear-cut: different languages will display the characteristic of agglutination
to a greater or lesser degree. Languages which display agglutination to a major
extent include Turkish and Japanese.