Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Argument (definition)

2009-08-03T19:48:16Z

AlanHogue: First draft.

Each verb requires a certain number of arguments to make a grammatical [[Clause (definition)|clause]], each of which must be filled with a [[Phrase (definition)|phrase]].

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) Jones gave the picture to Smith.''

In (1a), ''Jones'' and ''a picture'' are both '''core arguments''' of the verb ''paint''. Core arguments are required to form a grammatical clause, unless certain [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] are used.

In (1b), the verb ''gave'' requires three arguments (i.e., it is [[Ditransitive (definition)|ditransitive]], or has a [[Valence (definition)|valence]] of three). Here, ''Jones'', ''the picture'' and ''to Smith'' (a [[Prepositional Phrase (definition)|prepositional phrase]]) are all core arguments.

Additional, optional arguments can appear in a clause. Such arguments are often called '''oblique'''.

:''2a) A picture was painted by Jones.''
:''2b) A picture was painted.''

Here, a valence changing operation ([[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]]) has been applied and the number of core arguments of the verb decreased to one (''a picture''). The former subject ''Jones'' has become an oblique argument, which we can verify by showing that this argument is optional (2b).

Note that not all "optional" arguments are oblique. For instance, ''Jones painted.'' is grammatical, but this does not mean that in (1a) ''a picture'' is oblique. However, oblique arguments will always be optional.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Clause (definition)]]
*[[Passive Voice (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on arguments: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb_argument

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Semantics]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Non-Finite (definition)

2009-08-03T19:15:18Z

AlanHogue:

A non-finite clause is a clause where the verb/auxiliary does not contain the tense information of the event/action/state it describes. For example, in an English sentence ''She wants [to go to school]'', the embedded clause in the brackets is non-finite in that the tense of the action described by the verb ''go'' is not expressed.

The subject of a non-finite clause can be omitted as in ''She wants [PRO to go to school]''; When it appears as a personal pronoun, it must inflect for accusative Case as in ''She wants [him to go to school]'', as opposed to ''*She wants [he to go to school]''.

==See Also==
*[[Clause (definition)]]
*[[Finite (definition)]]

==External Links==
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-finite_verb

==References==

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
[[Category:Syntax]]

Valence (definition)

2009-07-12T21:22:05Z

AlanHogue:

'''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of [[Verb (definition)|verbs]]. It indicates the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] a verb requires to make a [[Clause (definition)|clause]] (not counting optionally expressed non-[[Core Argument (definition)|core arguments]]). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of transitivity.

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

:''1) Jones snored.''
:''2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.''
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''

Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an [[Oblique (definition)|oblique]] or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]) of the verb ''give''.

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] by which valence can be increased or decreased. [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Argument (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Valence (definition)

2009-07-12T21:04:07Z

AlanHogue:

'''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of [[Verb (definition)|verbs]]. It indicates the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] a verb requires to make a [[Clause (definition)|clause]] (not counting optionally expressed non-[[Core Argument (definition)|core arguments]]). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of transitivity.

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

:''1) Jones snored.''
:''2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.''
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''

Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an [[Oblique|oblique]] or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]) of the verb ''give''. We can tell because eliminating the argument makes the sentence ungrammatical (4).

:''4) *Jones gave the cheese.''

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] by which valence can be increased or decreased. [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Argument (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Valence (definition)

2009-07-12T21:02:49Z

AlanHogue:

'''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of [[Verb (definition)|verbs]]. It indicates the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] a verb requires to make a [[Clause (definition)|clause]] (not counting optionally expressed non-[[Core Argument (definition)|core arguments]]). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of [[Transitivity (definition)|transitivity]].

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

:''1) Jones snored.''
:''2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.''
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''

Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an [[Oblique|oblique]] or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (an [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]) of the verb ''give''. We can tell because eliminating the argument makes the sentence ungrammatical (4).

:''4) *Jones gave the cheese.''

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]] by which valence can be increased or decreased. [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Transitivity (definition)]]
*[[Argument (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Valence (definition)

2009-07-12T20:55:28Z

AlanHogue:

'''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of [[Verb (definition)|verbs]]. It indicates the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] a verb requires to make a [[Clause (definition)|clause]] (not counting optionally expressed non-[[Core Argument (definition)|core arguments]]). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of [[Transitivity (definition)|transitivity]].

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

:''1) Jones snored.''
:''2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.''
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''

Although ''the mouse'' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an oblique or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (indirect object) of the verb ''give''. We can tell because eliminating the argument makes the sentence ungramattical (4).

:''4) *Jones gave the cheese.''

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of valence changing operations by which valence can be increased or decreased. Passive voice, for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Transitivity (definition)]]
*[[Argument (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Valence (definition)

2009-07-12T20:54:19Z

AlanHogue: Created page with ''''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of verbs. It indicates the number of arguments a verb requires to make a [[Cla...'

'''Valence''' (also called "valency") is a property of [[Verb (definition)|verbs]]. It indicates the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] a verb requires to make a [[Clause (definition)|clause]] (not counting optionally expressed non-[[Core Argument (definition)|core arguments]]). Valence is roughly equivalent to the traditional concept of [[Transitivity (definition)|transitivity]].

(1) contains a verb with a valence of 1 (sometimes called univalent or intransitive), (2) a verb with valence of 2 (divalent or transitive), and (3) a verb with valence of 3 (trivalent or ditransitive).

:''1) Jones snored.''
:''2) Smith bewildered the pedestrians.''
:''3) Jones gave the cheese to the mouse.''

Although '''the mouse''' in (3) looks superficially like an object of a preposition (and therefore an oblique or non-core argument), it is in fact a core argument (indirect object) of the verb '''give'''. We can tell because eliminating the argument makes the sentence ungramattical (4).

:''4) *Jones gave the cheese.''

While valence is conceived as a property of verbs (and therefore is lexically determined), human languages have a wide variety of valence changing operations by which valence can be increased or decreased. Passive voice, for instance, is one example of an "operation" which decreases the valence of a given verb.

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Transitivity (definition)]]
*[[Argument (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

User:AlanHogue

2009-07-12T20:06:09Z

AlanHogue: Created page with 'Alan Hogue is a PhD student at the University of Arizona Linguistics Department, specializing in language evolution, syntax and computational linguistics.'

Alan Hogue is a PhD student at the University of Arizona Linguistics Department, specializing in language evolution, syntax and computational linguistics.

Valence Changing Operation (definition)

2009-06-30T00:51:31Z

AlanHogue: 1st draft

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Morphology]]
[[Category: Voice]]
'''Valence changing operations''' describe syntactic alternations in which the number of [[Argument (definition)|arguments]] of a verb (i.e., its syntactic [[Valence (definition)|valence]]) changes. These alternations are thought to be the result of operations which increase or decrease the lexically-determined valence of a verb. [[Passive Voice (definition)|passivization]], for instance, demotes a core argument (the [[Subject (definition)|subject]]) to a non-core argument, and optionally deletes it. Other valence changing operations include [[Causative (definition)|causatives]], [[Applicative (definition)|applicatives]], [[Reflexive (definition)|reflexives]], and so on.

==See Also==
*[[Voice in Morphology (definition)|Voice]]
*[[Argument (definition)|Argument]]
*[[Valence (definition)|Valence]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Valency: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valency_(linguistics)

==References==

Voice in Morphology (definition)

2009-06-30T00:16:04Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
'''Voice''', in its morphosyntactic sense, describes alternations in the alignment of [[Thematic Relation (definition)|thematic relations]] and [[Grammatical Relation (definition)|grammatical relations]] within a [[Clause (definition)|clause]]. Traditionally, this includes [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] and [[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]], while Scottish Gaelic and other languages also have an [[Impersonal Voice (definition)|impersonal voice]]. However, many linguists consider these voices to be part of a much broader category of [[Valence Changing Operation (definition)|valence changing operations]].

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Consider some examples from English. (1a) is a sentence in the active voice. Active voice sentences align [[Noun Phrase (definition)|noun phrases]] which take the [[Agent (definition)|agent]] (or more agent-like) thematic relation with the [[Subject (definition)|subject]] grammatical relation. The passive version in (1b) changes this alignment; in the passive voice, noun phrases which are more [[Theme (definition)|theme]]-like are treated as subjects. Note also that the passive voice reduces the valence of the verb (i.e., the number of noun phrases it requires).

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
*[[Grammatical Relation (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Voice in Morphology (definition)

2009-06-30T00:15:40Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
'''Voice''', in its morphosyntactic sense, describes alternations in the alignment of [[Thematic Relation (definition)|thematic relations]] and [[Grammatical Relation (definition)|grammatical relations]] within a [[Clause (definition)|clause]]. Traditionally, this includes [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] and [[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]], while Scottish Gaelic and other languages also have an [[Impersonal Voice (definition)|impersonal voice]]. However, many linguists consider these voices to be part of a much broader category of [[Valence Changing Operations (definition)|valence changing operations]].

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Consider some examples from English. (1a) is a sentence in the active voice. Active voice sentences align [[Noun Phrase (definition)|noun phrases]] which take the [[Agent (definition)|agent]] (or more agent-like) thematic relation with the [[Subject (definition)|subject]] grammatical relation. The passive version in (1b) changes this alignment; in the passive voice, noun phrases which are more [[Theme (definition)|theme]]-like are treated as subjects. Note also that the passive voice reduces the valence of the verb (i.e., the number of noun phrases it requires).

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
*[[Grammatical Relation (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Voice in Morphology (definition)

2009-06-24T00:24:49Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
'''Voice''', in its morphosyntactic sense, describes alternations in the alignment of [[Thematic Relations (definition)|thematic relations]] and [[Grammatical Relations (definition)|grammatical relations]] within a [[Clause (definition)|clause]]. Traditionally, this includes [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] and [[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]], while Scottish Gaelic and other languages also have an [[Impersonal Voice (definition)|impersonal voice]]. However, many linguists consider these voices to be part of a much broader category of [[Valence Changing Operations (definition)|valence changing operations]].

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Consider some examples from English. (1a) is a sentence in the active voice. Active voice sentences align [[Noun Phrase (definition)|noun phrases]] which take the [[Agent (definition)|agent]] (or more agent-like) thematic relation with the [[Subject (definition)|subject]] grammatical relation. The passive version in (1b) changes this alignment; in the passive voice, noun phrases which are more [[Patient (definition)|patient]]-like are treated as subjects. Note also that the passive voice reduces the valence of the verb (i.e., the number of noun phrases it requires).

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operation (definition)]]
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
*[[Grammatical Relation (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Voice in Morphology (definition)

2009-06-23T22:13:56Z

AlanHogue: First draft.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
'''Voice''', in its morphosyntactic sense, describes alternations in the alignment of [[Thematic Relations (definition)|thematic relations]] and [[Grammatical Relations (definition)|grammatical relations]] within a [[Clause (definition)|clause]]. Traditionally, this includes [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] and [[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]], while Scottish Gaelic and other languages also have an [[Impersonal Voice (definition)|impersonal voice]]. However, many linguists consider these voices to be part of a much broader category of [[Valence Changing Operations (definition)|valence changing operations]].

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Consider some examples from English. (1a) is a sentence in the active voice. Active voice sentences align [[Noun Phrase (definition)|noun phrases]] which take the [[Agent (definition)|agent]] (or more agent-like) thematic relation with the [[Subject (definition)|subject]] grammatical relation. The passive version in (1b) changes this alignment; in the passive voice, noun phrases which are more [[Patient (definition)|patient]]-like are treated as subjects. Note also that the passive voice reduces the valence of the verb (i.e., the number of noun phrases it requires).

==See Also==
*[[Valence Changing Operations (definition)]]
*[[Thematic Relations (definition)]]
*[[Grammatical Relations (definition)]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Grammatical Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T21:33:08Z

AlanHogue: First draft.

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
'''Grammatical relations''' indicate the syntactic relationships between a [[Verb (definition)|verb]] and the [[Noun Phrase (definition)|noun phrases]] present in a [[Clause (definition)|clause]]. Commonly used grammatical relations include [[Subject (definition|subject]], [[Direct Object (definition)|direct object]] and [[Indirect Object (definition)|indirect object]]. Noun phrases which are not a [[Core Argument (definition)|core argument]] (i.e., are not a subject or object of the verb) are called [[Oblique (definition|oblique]]. In English, oblique noun phrases are usually objects of prepositions.

:''1) Smith hit Jones with a kumquat.''

In (1) ''Smith'' is a subject, ''Jones'' is a direct object, and ''a kumquat'' is an oblique (an object of a preposition). In (2), ''Jones'' is an indirect object:

:''2) Smith tossed a kumquat to Jones.''

Note that now, although the events described in (1) and (2) are similar, the two non-subject noun phrases ''Jones'' and ''a kumquat'' change grammatical relations. It is important to remember that although grammatical relations correlate to some degree with [[Thematic Relation (definition)|thematic relations]] (a semantic concept), grammatical relations are not semantic and they are not the same as thematic relations. Consider (3):

:''3) Jones was hit with a kumquat.''

Here, ''Jones'' has the same thematic relation as in (1), but in the [[Passive Voice (definition)|passive voice]] this noun phrase has become a subject.

Although languages vary in the formal properties of grammatical relations, it is thought that all languages make use of three or more. (Payne 1997)

==See Also==
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
*[[Voice in Morphology (definition)]]

==References==
*Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521588057

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T18:26:39Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic relations classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic relations are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic relation, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic relation.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic relations would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action
:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event
:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived
:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs
:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs
:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur
:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action
:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic relations correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic relations are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic relation. But clearly thematic relations do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

==See Also==
*[[Theta Role (definition)|Theta Role]]
*[[Case (definition)|Case]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Thematic Relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_relation

==References==

*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative introduction. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 1405133848

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T18:24:07Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic relations classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic relations are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic relation, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic relation.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic relations would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action
:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event
:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived
:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs
:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs
:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur
:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action
:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic relations correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic relations are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic relation. But clearly thematic relations do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

==See Also==
*[[Theta Role (definition)|Theta Role]]
*[[Case (definition)|Case]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Thematic Relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_relation

==References==

*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative introduction. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishers.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T18:22:38Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic relations classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic relations are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic relation, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic relation.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic relations would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action
:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event
:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived
:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs
:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs
:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur
:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action
:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic roles correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic relations are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic role. But clearly thematic roles do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

==See Also==
*[[Theta Role (definition)|Theta Role]]
*[[Case (definition)|Case]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Thematic Relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_relation

==References==

*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative introduction. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishers.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T18:22:09Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic relations classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic relations are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic relation, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic relation.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient thematic role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic relations would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action
:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event
:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived
:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs
:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs
:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur
:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action
:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic roles correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic relations are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic role. But clearly thematic roles do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

==See Also==
*[[Theta Role (definition)|Theta Role]]
*[[Case (definition)|Case]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Thematic Relations: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_relation

==References==

*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative introduction. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishers.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]
[[Category: Semantics]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T07:28:41Z

AlanHogue: Added refs, links, etc.

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic roles classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic roles are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic role, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic role.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient thematic role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic roles would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action

:• [[Patient (definition)|'''Patients''']] (or themes) are recipients of the action

:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event

:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived

:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs

:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs

:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur

:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action

:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic roles correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic roles are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic role. But clearly thematic roles do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

==See Also==
*[[Theta Role (definition)|Theta Role]]
*[[Case (definition)|Case]]

==External Links==
*wikipedia article on Thematic Roles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thematic_relation

==References==

*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative introduction. 2nd Edition. Blackwell Publishers.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Thematic Relation (definition)

2009-06-23T07:23:51Z

AlanHogue: First draft.

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
Semantically, every clause contains a verb which, in combination with the nouns present in the clause, forms a notion of an event or a state. Thematic roles classify the semantic relationships between a verb and the nouns in its clause.

For instance, the notion of kissing requires an agent and a patient (sometimes called a theme) to make a complete semantic event. These thematic roles are expressed through nouns, so we may say that in (1) ''Smith'' takes the agent thematic role, and ''Jones'' takes the patient (or theme) thematic role.

:''1) Smith kissed Jones.''

''Smith'' takes the agent role because he or she is the one who does the kissing. ''Jones'' takes the patient thematic role because he or she is the one being kissed.

Linguists disagree on what an exhaustive inventory of thematic roles would consist of. However, the following are widely accepted (adapted from Carnie 2006):

:• [[Agent (definition)|'''Agents''']] do or precipitate the action

:• [[Patient (definition)|'''Patients''']] (or themes) are recipients of the action

:• [[Experiencer (definition)|'''Experiencers''']] feel or perceive an event

:• [[Theme (definition)|'''Themes''']] are moved, experienced or perceived

:• [[Goal (definition)|'''Goals''']] are entities toward which movement occurs

:• [[Source (definition)|'''Sources''']] are entities from which movement occurs

:• [[Location (definition)|'''Locations''']] are the places in which events occur

:• [[Instrument (definition)|'''Instruments''']] are used to perform an action

:• [[Beneficiary (definition)|'''Beneficiaries''']] are those for whom an event takes place

Note that many of these thematic roles correlate with traditional [[Case (definition)|case]] distinctions. Thematic roles are considered purely semantic classes, and one syntactic argument may bear more than one thematic role. But clearly thematic roles do have an effect on syntax; in some generative grammars this interface with syntactic structure is handled through [[Theta Role (definition)|theta roles]].

Passive Voice (definition)

2009-06-22T22:30:59Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
The [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]] describes clauses in which the noun normally expected to appear as the [[Direct Object (definition)|direct object]] of a [[Transitive (definition)|transitive]] verb is expressed as the [[Subject (definition)|subject]], while the usual subject argument is optionally expressed [[Oblique (definition)|obliquely]]. Usually, this means that the noun which is the patient becomes the subject, while the more agent-like noun becomes optional. The passive voice is often thought to be the result of a syntactic operation which takes a clause in the (default) [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] (see example 1a) and produces a passive version (example 1b).

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Note that both (1a) and (1b) have essentially the same meaning, in the sense that if one is true then the other is true, and if one is false then the other must be as well.

Note also that active and passive voice are grammatical distinctions, not semantic ones. Sentences in the active voice need not be "active" in any general sense, nor do sentences in the passive voice necessarily denote a "passive" or "non-active" event. Nor are sentences in the active voice necessarily less vague about agency than passive sentences.

==See Also==
*Voice [[Voice in Morphology (definition)|Voice]]
*Active [[Active Voice (definition)|Voice]]
*Impersonal [[Impersonal (definition)]]

==External Links==
*Language Log Articles about Active and Passive: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/index.php?s=passive
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_(grammar)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Passive Voice (definition)

2009-06-22T22:16:06Z

AlanHogue: First draft.

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
The [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]] describes clauses in which the noun normally expected to appear as the [[Direct Object (definition)|direct object]] of a [[Transitive (definition)|transitive]] verb is expressed as the [[Subject (definition)|subject]], while the usual subject argument is optionally expressed [[Oblique (definition)|obliquely]]. The passive voice is often thought to be the result of a syntactic operation which takes a clause in the (default) [[Active Voice (definition)|active voice]] (see example 1a) and produces a passive version (example 1b).

:''1a) Jones painted a picture.''
:''1b) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Note that both (1a) and (1b) have essentially the same meaning, in the sense that if one is true then the other is true, and if one is false then the other must be as well.

Note also that active and passive voice are grammatical distinctions, not semantic ones. Sentences in the active voice need not be "active" in any general sense, nor do sentences in the passive voice necessarily denote a "passive" or "non-active" event. Nor are sentences in the active voice necessarily less vague about agency than passive sentences.

==See Also==
*Voice [[Voice in Morphology (definition)|Voice]]
*Active [[Active Voice (definition)|Voice]]
*Impersonal [[Impersonal (definition)]]

==External Links==
*Language Log Articles about Active and Passive: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/index.php?s=passive
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_(grammar)

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Active Voice (definition)

2009-06-22T21:40:28Z

AlanHogue:

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
The [[Active voice (definition)|Active]] [[Voice in Morphology (definition)|voice]] is a term borrowed from traditional grammar to indicate a [[Transitive (definition)|transitive]] verb which takes an [[Agent (definition)|agent]] as its [[Subject (definition)|subject]], and which grammatically expresses all of its [[Argument (definition)|arguments]]. The active voice is defined mainly in contradistinction to the [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], in which the noun normally expected to appear as the [[Direct Object (definition)|direct object]] of the verb (usually a non-agent, semantically), is expressed as the subject of the verb, while the more agent-like argument is optionally expressed [[Oblique (definition)|obliquely]].

(1) is a typical example of the active voice.

:''1) Jones painted a picture.''

Compare this to the passive version:

:''2) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Note that both (1) and (2) have essentially the same meaning, in the sense that if one is true then the other is true, and if one is false then the other must be as well.

Note also that active and passive voice are grammatical distinctions, not semantic ones. Sentences in the active voice need not be "active" in any general sense, nor do sentences in the passive voice necessarily denote a "passive" or "non-active" event. Nor are sentences in the active voice necessarily less vague about agency than passive sentences.

==See Also==
*Voice [[Voice in Morphology (definition)|Voice]]
*Passive [[Passive Voice (definition)|Voice]]
*Impersonal [[Impersonal (definition)]]

==External Links==
*Language Log Articles about Active and Passive: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/index.php?s=passive
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Active Voice (definition)

2009-06-22T21:39:23Z

AlanHogue: Changed links to "Voice" to point to "Voice in Morphology".

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
The [[Active voice (definition)|Active]] [[Voice in Morphology (definition)|voice]] is a term borrowed from traditional grammar to indicate a [[Transitive (definition)|transitive]] verb which takes an [[Agent (definition)|agent]] as its [[Subject (definition)|subject]], and which grammatically expresses all of its [[Argument (definition)|arguments]]. The active voice is defined mainly in contradistinction to the [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], in which the noun normally expected to appear as the [[Direct Object (definition)|direct object]] of the verb (usually a non-agent, semantically), is expressed as the subject of the verb, while the more agent-like argument is optionally expressed [[Oblique (definition)|obliquely]].

(1) is a typical example of the active voice.

:''1) Jones painted a picture.''

Compare this to the passive version:

:''2) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Note that both (1) and (2) have essentially the same meaning, in the sense that if one is true then the other is true, and if one is false then the other must be as well.

Note also that active and passive voice are grammatical distinctions, not semantic ones. Sentences in the active voice need not be "active" in any general sense, nor do sentences in the passive voice necessarily denote a "passive" or "non-active" event. Nor are sentences in the active voice necessarily less vague about agency than passive sentences.

==See Also==
*Voice [[Voice in Morphology (definition)]]
*Passive [[Passive Voice (definition)]]
*Impersonal [[Impersonal (definition)]]

==External Links==
*Language Log Articles about Active and Passive: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/index.php?s=passive
*wikipedia article on Voice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Voice

[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
[[Category: Syntax]]

Active Voice (definition)

2009-06-22T20:47:50Z

AlanHogue: Created the first bit of content.

[[Category:Technical Definitions]]
The [[Active voice (definition)|Active voice]] is a term borrowed from traditional grammar to indicate a transitive verb which takes an agent as its subject, and which grammatically expresses all of its arguments. The active voice is defined mainly in contradistinction to the [[Passive voice (definition)|Passive voice]], in which the nominal normally expected to appear as the object of the verb (usually a non-agent, semantically), is expressed as the subject of the verb, while the more agent-like argument is optionally expressed obliquely.

(1) is a typical example of the active voice.

:''1) Jones painted a picture.''

Compare this to the passive version:

:''2) A picture was painted (by Jones).''

Note that both (1) and (2) have essentially the same meaning, in the sense that if one is true then the other is true, and if one is false then the other must be as well.

Note also that active and passive voice are grammatical distinctions, not semantic ones. Sentences in the active voice need not be "active" in any general sense, nor do sentences in the passive voice necessarily denote a "passive" or "non-active" event. Nor are sentences in the active voice necessarily less vague about agency than passive sentences.