Thematic role: Difference between revisions

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Some examples of thematic roles are:
Some examples of thematic roles are:
* “agent”: who is willfully causing this event?
* “agent”: who is willfully causing this event?
* “instrument”: what is used to carry out this event?
* “benefactor”: who benefits from this event?
* “patient”: who or what is affected/changed by this event?
* “patient”: who or what is affected/changed by this event?


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<blockquote>{{t|choıdea}}: ___ stabs ___.</blockquote>
<blockquote>{{t|choıdea}}: ___ stabs ___.</blockquote>


Whereas thematic roles are represented using verbs that relate an event to an object, generally used as [[prepositions]] ({{tone|6}}):
Whereas thematic roles are represented using verbs that relate an event to an object, generally used as [[prepositions]] ({{done|4}}):


<blockquote>{{t|chou}}: ___ is an event with ___ as its instrument.</blockquote>
<blockquote>{{t|nhuq}}: ___ happens for ___'s benefit.</blockquote>


=== An example ===
=== An example ===
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! Subject !! Object !! Agent !! Patient
! Subject !! Object !! Agent !! Patient
|-
|-
| (1) {{t|Chỏıdea Bủtusy Kảısary da.}}<br>Brutus stabs Caesar. || Brutus || Caesar || Brutus || Caesar
| (1) {{t|Choıdea Butusu Kaısa da.}}<br>Brutus stabs Caesar. || Brutus || Caesar || Brutus || Caesar
|-
|-
| (2) {{t|Mủ chỏıdea Kảısary Bủtusy da.}}<br>Caesar is-stabbed-by Brutus. || Caesar || Brutus || Brutus || Caesar
| (2) {{t|Bọchoıdea Kaısa Butusu da.}}<br>Caesar is-stabbed-by Brutus. || Caesar || Brutus || Brutus || Caesar
|}
|}


Note that the assignment of Agent and Patient roles to Brutus and Caesar happens “automatically” according to the semantics of {{t|choıdea}}. To stab is for an agent to stab a patient.
Note that the assignment of Agent and Patient roles to Brutus and Caesar happens “automatically” according to the semantics of {{t|choıdea}}. To stab is for an agent to stab a patient.


We can further dress the event up with an “instrument” using a thematic role word:
We can further dress the event up with a “benefactor” using a preposition:


<blockquote>(3) {{t|Chỏıdea Bủtusy Kảısary <u>chòu</u> sa tỏemy da.}}<br>(4) {{t|Mủ chỏıdea Kảısary Bủtusy <u>chòu</u> sa tỏemy da.}}</blockquote>
<blockquote>(3) {{t|Choıdea Butusu Kaısa <u>nhûq</u> mí Loqgınu da.}}<br>(4) {{t|Bọchoıdea Kaısa Butusu <u>nhûq</u> mí Loqgınu da.}}</blockquote>


We say that the stabbing-event, or the being-stabbed-event, “happens using” a knife.
We say that the stabbing-event, or the being-stabbed-event, “happens for” Longinus's sake.


== Table of thematic role words ==
== Table of thematic role words ==
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! Toaq word !! Role !! Example
! Toaq word !! Role !! Example
|-
|-
| {{t|chou}}
| {{t|bọtua}}
| Instrument
| Actor
| {{t|chòu sa tỏemy}}, “<u>using</u> a knife”
| {{t|bộtua jí}}, “<u>brought about by</u> me”
|-
| {{t|bọtao}}
| Intentional actor
| {{t|bộtao jí}}, “<u>done by</u> me”
|-
|-
| {{t|nhe}}
| {{t|nhe}}
| Extent
| Extent
| {{t|lỏq náo nhè néıheı kẻıcıu}}, “the water is <u>90°C</u> hot”
| {{t|loq náo nhê néıheı keıcıu}}, “the water is <u>90°C</u> hot”
|-
| {{t|zuo}}
| Purpose
| {{t|zûo ꝡä jaı súq}}, “<u>so that</u> you may be happy”
|-
| {{t|fana}}
| End point, direction, goal
| {{t|jara nháo fâna búe}}, “they run <u>toward</u> the house”
|-
| {{t|duo}}
| Duration
| {{t|jara nháo dûo sá hora}}, “they run <u>for</u> an hour”
|-
| {{t|kuı}}
| Reason
| {{t|soa jí súq kûı ꝡä paı súq jí}}, “I help you <u>because</u> you're my friend”
|-
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | Words below this line are unofficial
! colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | Words below this line are unofficial
|-
|-
| {{t|sıny / sıy}}
| {{t|sını}}
| Starting point, source, origin
| Starting point, source, origin
| {{t|jảra nháo sìy búe}}, “they run <u>from</u> the house”
| {{t|jara nháo sînı búe}}, “they run <u>from</u> the house”
|-
| {{t|fany / fay}}
| End point, direction, goal
| {{t|jảra nháo fày búe}}, “they run <u>toward</u> the house”
|-
| {{t|puoq}}
| Purpose
| {{t|pùoq jâı súq}}, “<u>so that</u> you may be happy”
|-
|-
| {{t|gekyı}}<ref>{{t|kyı}} is an invalid syllable, marking these words as somewhat more experimental than the others.</ref>
| {{t|gekyı}}<ref>{{t|kyı}} is an invalid syllable, marking these words as somewhat more experimental than the others.</ref>
| Stimulus
| Stimulus
| {{t|ảchu gèkyı hóegıo}}, “I sneeze <u>from</u> the sunlight”
| {{t|achu gêkyı hóegıo}}, “I sneeze <u>from</u> the sunlight”
|-
| {{t|juqkyı}}
| Recipient, benefactor
| {{t|sủaq jí jùqkyı súq}}, “I sing <u>for</u> you”
|-
| {{t|toıkyı}}
| Agent
| {{t|pỏaq núoqmy tòıkyı jí}}, “the mirror shatters <u>by my doing</u>”
|-
|-
| {{t|tekyı}}
| {{t|tekyı}}
| Patient
| Patient
| {{t|rủqshua tètyı jí}}, “it rains <u>on (affecting, i.e. wetting)</u> me”
| {{t|ruqshua têkyı jí}}, “it rains <u>on (affecting, i.e. wetting)</u> me”
|-
|-
| {{t|taqkyı}}
| {{t|taqkyı}}

Revision as of 14:29, 8 December 2022

This page was written for Toaq Gamma. Its contents are not yet up to date with the latest version of Toaq, Toaq Delta.

A thematic role or semantic role is a way in which an object can relate to an event.

Some examples of thematic roles are:

  • “agent”: who is willfully causing this event?
  • “benefactor”: who benefits from this event?
  • “patient”: who or what is affected/changed by this event?

Syntactic and thematic roles

Thematic roles exist in contrast to syntactic roles, like “subject” or “direct object”: these describe a way in which something participates in a verb at the syntax level.

In Toaq, syntactic roles are the ones already represented by the “blanks” in verb definitions:

choıdea: ___ stabs ___.

Whereas thematic roles are represented using verbs that relate an event to an object, generally used as prepositions (hiatus tone):

nhuq: ___ happens for ___'s benefit.

An example

In the two sentences below, the syntactic subject and object are exchanged, but the thematic roles stay the same: Brutus, the agent, is causing change, while Caesar, the patient, suffers this change.

Sentence Syntactic roles Thematic roles
Subject Object Agent Patient
(1) Choıdea mí Butusu mí Kaısa da.
Brutus stabs Caesar.
Brutus Caesar Brutus Caesar
(2) Bọchoıdea mí Kaısa mí Butusu da.
Caesar is-stabbed-by Brutus.
Caesar Brutus Brutus Caesar

Note that the assignment of Agent and Patient roles to Brutus and Caesar happens “automatically” according to the semantics of choıdea. To stab is for an agent to stab a patient.

We can further dress the event up with a “benefactor” using a preposition:

(3) Choıdea mí Butusu mí Kaısa nhûq mí Loqgınu da.
(4) Bọchoıdea mí Kaısa mí Butusu nhûq mí Loqgınu da.

We say that the stabbing-event, or the being-stabbed-event, “happens for” Longinus's sake.

Table of thematic role words

Each of these has a definition like: “___ is an event with ___ as its (Role).”

Toaq word Role Example
bọtua Actor bộtua jí, “brought about by me”
bọtao Intentional actor bộtao jí, “done by me”
nhe Extent loq náo nhê néıheı keıcıu, “the water is 90°C hot”
zuo Purpose zûo ꝡä jaı súq, “so that you may be happy”
fana End point, direction, goal jara nháo fâna búe, “they run toward the house”
duo Duration jara nháo dûo sá hora, “they run for an hour”
kuı Reason soa jí súq kûı ꝡä paı súq jí, “I help you because you're my friend”
Words below this line are unofficial
sını Starting point, source, origin jara nháo sînı búe, “they run from the house”
gekyı[1] Stimulus achu jí gêkyı hóegıo, “I sneeze from the sunlight”
tekyı Patient ruqshua têkyı jí, “it rains on (affecting, i.e. wetting) me”
taqkyı Agent + patient (affecting self)
lıekyı Experiencer

“Agent” and “patient” roles are usually baked into a transitive verb, so translating toıkyı and tekyı can be a bit tricky or ambiguous.

  1. kyı is an invalid syllable, marking these words as somewhat more experimental than the others.