Thematic Roles

Thematicroles

Itisoftenconvenienttoidentifyargumentsof(Fregean)predicatesintermsofthefollowingthematicroles,whichareillustratedbelow.

agentinstrumentcauseexperiencerrecipientpathlocationmeasuretheme

Agentsareargumentsthatbringaboutastateofaffairs.Thelinebetweenagents,ontheonehand,andinstrumentsorcauses,ontheother,canbefuzzy,butagentsare(orareperceivedtobe)consciousorsentient,inawaythatinstrumentsorcausesaren't.Someexamplesaregivenin(1)(3).

(1) a. Agent: Thelionsdevouredthewildebeest.b. Theboyscaughtsomefish.c. Mymotherwrotemealetter.

(2) a. Instrument: Thiskeyopensthedoortothemainoffice.b. Theymusthaveusedindelibleink.

(3) a. Cause: Hurricaneforcewindsdemolishedmuchofthetown.b. Anepidemickilledoffallofthetomatoes.c. Aneconomicdownturnputthousandsofworkersoutofwork.

Experiencersareargumentsthatundergoasensory,cognitive,oremotionalexperience.

(4) a. Experiencer: Therhesusmonkeyhadneverseensnowbefore.b. Manypeoplefearsnakes.c. Theirresourcefulnessstruckherasadmirable.

Recipientsareargumentsthatreceivesomething(whethergoodorbad)inasituation.

(5) a. Recipient: Theygavetheworkersaraise.b. Hesparedmehisusualsobstory.c. Ipaidmylandlordtherent.

Recipientscanbetheendpointsofpaths.

(6) a. Path: I'dliketosendthispackagetomysister.(mysister=recipient)

b. Luckyracedacrossthelawntotheedgeoftheforest.c. Wedrovethescenicroute.

Locationsaresimplyplaceslikerecipients,theycanserveasendpointsofpaths.(Chapter7containssomediscussionconcerningthedifferencebetweenrecipientsandlocations).

(7) a. Location: Weputthebookontheshelf.b. I'dliketosendthispackagetoFrance.

(to+France=path)c. Luckyracedacrossthelawntotheedgeoftheforest.

(to+theedgeoftheforest=path)

Measureoramountargumentsexpressextensionalongsomedimension(length,duration,cost,andsoon).

(8) a. Measure: Theyrowedforthreedays.b. Thebookcoststendollars.

Finally,thethematicroleofthemeissomethingofacatchall.Accordingtoonedefinition,'theme'referstoanargumentundergoingmotionofsomesort,includingmotioninametaphoricalsense,suchasachangeofstate.Asisusualinthesyntacticliterature,wewillalsousethetermforargumentsthataremost'affected'inasituationorforthecontentofanexperience.

(9) a. Theme: Thelionsdevouredthewildebeest.b. Thiskeyopensthedoortothemainoffice.c. Hurricaneforcewindsdemolishedmuchofthetown.d. Theygavetheworkersaraise.e. I'dliketosendthispackagetoFrance.f. Manypeoplefearsnakes.