Thematic Roles

Thematic Roles

1. Is a means of accounting for the functions of arguments in respect to the predicate; thematic roles are the “grammatically relevant semantic relations between predicates and arguments”

   • Possessor
     • The possessor of a thing, really a special kind of locative, since the thing and the possessor must coincide; there are two kinds of possession, depending on whether the possessor and the thing possessed are inherently connected, such as Judy’s head (inalienable possession) or not, such as Judy’s car (alienable possession).
   • Benefactive
     • The person or thing for which an action is performed or the person who derives something from the actions of another.
   • Factitive
     • The object resulting from an action or state, having no prior existence but coming about by virtue of the action or state.
   • Patient
     • The person or thing aVected by an action, or the entity undergoing a change.
   • Theme
     • The person or thing which undergoes an action, or that which is transferred or moved by an event but otherwise unchanged.
   • Neutral
     • The person or thing which is not changed or even acted upon, but simply present at an action.
   • Range
     • The specification or limitation of an action.
   • Role
     • A person playing a role or part in an action or state.