Agent: Difference between revisions
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# Miguel gave Pedro some water. | # Miguel gave Pedro some water. | ||
# Pedro was hit by Miguel. (passive voice) | # Pedro was hit by Miguel. (passive voice) | ||
===Other languages=== | |||
*German [[Agens]] | |||
*Russian [[агенс]] | |||
=== Link === | === Link === | ||
[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Agent&lemmacode=1003 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] <br> | |||
[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Agent&lemmacode=1003 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] | |||
=== References === | === References === | ||
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* Jackendoff, R. 1990. ''Semantic Structures,'' Cambridge, MIT-Press. | * Jackendoff, R. 1990. ''Semantic Structures,'' Cambridge, MIT-Press. | ||
* Jackendoff, R. 1972. ''Semantic interpretation in generative grammar,'' MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. | * Jackendoff, R. 1972. ''Semantic interpretation in generative grammar,'' MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. | ||
{{dc}} | {{dc}} | ||
[[Category:Semantics]] | [[Category:Semantics]] | ||
[[Category:Semantic role]] | [[Category:Semantic role]] | ||
Latest revision as of 09:47, 14 June 2014
Agent is a generalized semantic or thematic role. The agent of an event is the entity that brings about an event and has control over it.
The Agent role has a 'privileged' status in many languages. In accusative languages, it is typically encoded as a subject (in the nominative case); in ergative languages, it is associated with a special case, the ergative. Irrespective of the alignment system of a language, the Agent role is plays a crucial role in various syntactic constructions, e.g. specific types of control structures and imperatives.
Example
In the following examples Miguel is the Agent:
- Miguel chased Gianni.
- Miguel gave Pedro some water.
- Pedro was hit by Miguel. (passive voice)
Other languages
Link
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
References
- Grimshaw, J. 1990. Argument Structure, MIT-press, Cambridge, Mass.
- Gruber, J. 1965. Studies in lexical relations, doctoral dissertation, MIT
- Jackendoff, R. 1990. Semantic Structures, Cambridge, MIT-Press.
- Jackendoff, R. 1972. Semantic interpretation in generative grammar, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.