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 [[semantic role]] denoting a participant that is actively involved in a situation (generally described by an action verb).
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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.
  
===Examples===
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=== Example ===
In (i)-(iii) ''Miguel'' is the Agent.
 
  
(i)  ''Miguel chased Gianni.''
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In the following examples ''Miguel'' is the Agent:
  
(ii) ''Miguel gave Pedro some water.''
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#  Miguel chased Gianni.
 
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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)
  
 
===Other languages===
 
===Other languages===
 
*German [[Agens]]
 
*German [[Agens]]
 
*Russian [[агенс]]
 
*Russian [[агенс]]
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=== Link ===
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[http://www2.let.uu.nl/UiL-OTS/Lexicon/zoek.pl?lemma=Agent&lemmacode=1003 Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics] <br>
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=== References ===
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* Grimshaw, J. 1990. ''Argument Structure,'' MIT-press, Cambridge, Mass.
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* Gruber, J. 1965. ''Studies in lexical relations,'' doctoral dissertation, MIT
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* Jackendoff, R. 1990. ''Semantic Structures,'' Cambridge, MIT-Press.
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* Jackendoff, R. 1972. ''Semantic interpretation in generative grammar,'' MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
  
 
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[[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:

  1. Miguel chased Gianni.
  2. Miguel gave Pedro some water.
  3. 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.