Difference between revisions of "Agent"

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'''Agent''' is a generalized [[semantic role|semantic]] or [[thematic role]]. The agent of an event is the entity that brings about an event and has control over it.
  
'''Agent''' is a type of [[argument]] or [[thematic role]] which designates an entity which is the cause of and has control over the action denoted by the predicate.
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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 [[imperative]]s.
 
 
Agent is a semantic role denoting a participant that is actively involved in a situation (generally described by an action verb).  
 
  
 
=== Example ===
 
=== Example ===
  
in (i)-(iii) ''Miguel'' is the Agent.
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In the following examples ''Miguel'' is the Agent:
  
  (i)  Miguel chased Gianni
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# Miguel chased Gianni.
(ii) Miguel gave Pedro some water
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# Miguel gave Pedro some water.
  (iii) Pedro was hit by Miguel
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# Pedro was hit by Miguel. (passive voice)
  
 
=== Link ===
 
=== Link ===
Line 18: Line 16:
  
 
=== References ===
 
=== References ===
 
 
* Grimshaw, J. 1990. ''Argument Structure,'' MIT-press, Cambridge, Mass.
 
* Grimshaw, J. 1990. ''Argument Structure,'' MIT-press, Cambridge, Mass.
 
* Gruber, J. 1965. ''Studies in lexical relations,'' doctoral dissertation, MIT
 
* Gruber, J. 1965. ''Studies in lexical relations,'' doctoral dissertation, MIT

Revision as of 12:25, 14 June 2009

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:

  1. Miguel chased Gianni.
  2. Miguel gave Pedro some water.
  3. Pedro was hit by Miguel. (passive voice)

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.


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