Difference between revisions of "Grammatical Relation (definition)"

From Scottish Gaelic Grammar Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(First draft.)
 
 
(6 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[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.
'''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.''
 
:''1) Smith hit Jones with a kumquat.''
Line 13: Line 12:
  
 
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.
 
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==
 
==See Also==
 
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
 
*[[Thematic Relation (definition)]]
 
*[[Voice in Morphology (definition)]]
 
*[[Voice in Morphology (definition)]]
 +
*[[Subject (definition)]]
 +
*[[Object (definition)]]
 +
*[[Indirect Object (definition)]]
 +
 +
==External Links==
 +
 +
*http://www.sil.org/linguistics/GlossaryOfLinguisticTerms/WhatIsAGrammaticalRelation.htm
 +
The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!
 +
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_relation
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
*Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521588057
 
*Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521588057
 +
*Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative Introduction. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell
  
 
[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
 
[[Category: Technical Definitions]]
 
[[Category: Syntax]]
 
[[Category: Syntax]]
 
[[Category: Semantics]]
 
[[Category: Semantics]]
 +
[[Category: Grammatical Relations]]

Latest revision as of 00:14, 8 June 2012

Grammatical relations indicate the syntactic relationships between a verb and the noun phrases present in a clause. Commonly used grammatical relations include subject, direct object and indirect object. Noun phrases which are not a core argument (i.e., are not a subject or object of the verb) are called 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 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 this noun phrase has become a subject.

See Also

External Links

The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!

References

  • Payne, Thomas. 1997. Describing Morphosyntax: A Guide for Field Linguists. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521588057
  • Carnie, Andrew. 2006. Syntax: A Generative Introduction. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell