scholarly journals Thematic Roles Are Not Semantic Roles

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan G. van Voorst
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Theory ◽  
Event Structure ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Thematic Roles ◽  
Semantic Roles ◽  
Principal Role ◽  
Subject Selection

Abstract This article discusses the value of thematic roles for the description of phenomena of grammar. Notions like agent, patient, etc. do not have any explanatory value in the grammar. For instance, there is no relationship between the middle, subject selection in English and the impersonal passive in Dutch and these roles. This makes it impossible for the language learner to distil them from the grammatical system. The notion of Event Structure creates a more explanatory link between the grammar and semantics. This notion explains the functioning of impersonal passive in Dutch. It is notions like this one that should play a principal role in a more explanatory semantic theory.

scholarly journals FUNGSI SINTAKTIS DAN PERAN SEMANTIS ARGUMEN INTI BAHASA MANGGARAI DIALEK MANGGARAI TENGAH

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-204
Author(s):  
Albertina Yosefina Samu
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Basic Structure ◽  
Thematic Roles ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Semantic Roles ◽  
Lexical Functional Grammar

This study examines the syntactic functions and the semantic roles of core arguments in Central Manggarai Dialect of Manggarai Language (CMDML). There are two theories applied in this study, i.e., Lexical- Functional Grammar and Macro Roles. This research uses qualitative method. The source of data is Manggarai language texts in oral and written forms. The results show that the basic structure of verbal clauses in CMDML are S+P+O, P+O+S, S+P+O+Oθ, S+P+COMP, P+COMP+S,P+S+COMP and non-verbal clauses are S+P, P+S. The syntactic functions of core arguments in CMDML are Subject (SUBJ), Object (OBJ) and Object Teta (OBJθ). The semantic roles of core argument in CMDML are devided into two, macroroles and thematic roles. Macroroles consist of Actor and Undergoer, while thematic roles consist of Agent, Experiencer, Effector, Recipient, Theme, Source dan Patient.

scholarly journals Zu der Ereignis- und Argumentstruktur der ein- und dreistelligen Verben in polnischen Präteritum-Formen vs. „neueren“ Formen mit mieć

2018 ◽  
Vol 143 ◽  
pp. 103-118
Author(s):  
Piotr Bartelik
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Event Structure ◽  
Semantic Roles ◽  
Grammatical Analysis

Der Beitrag fokussiert auf die Ereignis- und Argument-Struktur in polnischen Formen mit mieć und Partizipien der ein- und dreistelligen Verben. In der bisherigen Forschung wurde die Herausbildung derartiger „neuer“ Tempus- und ggf. Diathese-Formen im Kontext diverser grammatischer Parameter entweder postuliert oder entscheidend in Frage gestellt. Die hier vorgeschlagene Herangehensweise baut zum einen auf rollensemantischen und ereignisstrukturellen Theorien der Dekomposition auf, zum anderen werden anschließend die anscheinend konstruktionstypischen Ambiguitäten erwogen. On the event and argument structure of one- and three-place verbs in Polish preterite tense forms vs. “new” periphrastic forms with miećThis paper aims at analyzing the argument and event structure of the constructions with the verb mieć and partially reanalyzed participles, which are described as the “new perfect” in contemporary Polish. These forms are most frequently analyzed in terms of transitivity, aspect and other overt grammatical criteria so that the limits of their grammatical analysis seem to be reached. This paper offers a model that is oriented on the decomposition concepts event and argument structure, concepts of generalized semantic roles and that accordingly allows to evaluate the elaborated limits of grammatical analysis.

scholarly journals Semantic Models of Sentences with Verbs of Motion in Standard Language and in Scientific Language Used in Biology

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Vita Banionytė
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Theory ◽  
Scientific Language ◽  
Standard Language ◽  
Scientific Texts ◽  
Semantic Roles ◽  
Verbs Of Motion ◽  
Semantic Models ◽  
German Standard ◽  
Semantic Process ◽  
High Level

The semantic models of sentences with verbs of motion in German standard language and in scientific language used in biology are analyzed in the article. In its theoretic part it is affirmed that the article is based on the semantic theory of the sentence. This theory, in its turn, is grounded on the correlation of semantic predicative classes and semantic roles. The combination of semantic predicative classes and semantic roles is expressed by the main semantic formula – proposition. In its practical part the differences between the semantic models of standard and scientific language used in biology are explained. While modelling sentences with verbs of motion, two groups of semantic models of sentences are singled out: that of action (Handlung) and process (Vorgang). The analysis shows that the semantic models of sentences with semantic action predicatives dominate in the text of standard language while the semantic models of sentences with semantic process predicatives dominate in the texts of scientific language used in biology. The differences how the doer and direction are expressed in standard and in scientific language are clearly seen and the semantic cases (Agens, Patiens, Direktiv1) help to determine that. It is observed that in scientific texts of high level of specialization (biology science) in contrast to popular scientific literature models of sentences with moving verbs are usually seldom found. They are substituted by denominative constructions. In conclusions it is shown that this analysis can be important in methodics, especially planning material for teaching professional-scientific language.

scholarly journals How abstract is syntax? Evidence from structural priming

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayden Ziegler ◽  
Giulia Bencini ◽  
Adele Eva Goldberg ◽  
Jesse Snedeker
Keyword(s):  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Present Experiment ◽  
Information Structure ◽  
Event Structure ◽  
Structural Priming ◽  
Abstract Syntax ◽  
Semantic Roles ◽  
Abstract Content ◽  
Semantic Event ◽  
Lexical Content

In 1990, Bock and Loebell found that passives (e.g., The 747 was radioed by the airport’s control tower) can be primed by intransitive locatives (e.g., The 747 was landing by the airport’s control tower). This finding is often taken as strong evidence that structural priming occurs on the basis of a syntactic phrase structure that abstracts across lexical content, including prepositions, and is uninfluenced by the semantic roles of the arguments. However, all of the intransitive locative primes in Bock and Loebell contained the preposition by (by-locatives), just like the passive targets. Therefore, the locative-to-passive priming may have been due to the adjunct headed by by, rather than being a result of purely abstract syntax. The present experiment investigates this possibility. We find that passives and intransitive by-locatives are equivalent primes, but intransitive locatives with other prepositions (e.g., The 747 has landed near the airport control tower) do not prime passives. We conclude that a shared abstract, content-less tree structure is not sufficient for passive priming to occur. We then review the prior results that have been offered in favor of abstract tree priming, and note the range of evidence can be considerably narrowed—and possibly eliminated—once effects of animacy, semantic event structure, shared morphology, information structure, and rhythm are taken into account.

Student's Say: ‘What If My Clients End Up With a Chinese Accent?'

ASHA Leader ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-65
Author(s):  
King Kwok
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Student ◽  
English Language Learner ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Learner

A graduate student who is an English-language learner devises strategies to meet the challenges of providing speech-language treatment.

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