Syntax Files F4

subject is controller of action but not affected by it

subject is affected by action but not controller of it

subject is both controller of action and affected by it

ex. grooming (e.g. washing, dressing, etc.), changes in body posture, self-induced motion, and spontaneous events, etc.

• The water boiled.
• The tree fell.
• theme subject
• no oblique agent
• can refer to specific event
• may or may not have transitive counterpart

• The water was boiled (by the cook).
• The cotton was washed (by the workers).
• theme subject
• oblique agent possible
• can refer to specific event
• derived from transitive verb

• Cotton washes well.
• theme subject
• no oblique agent
• can't refer to specific event
• denotes generic property
• derived from transitive verb

• Latin lavo-r ('wash')
• agent/theme subject
• no oblique agent
• can refer to specific event
• marked by an affix

use of a series of affixes to indicate thematic role of argument bearing absolutive marker

reverses normal mapping between thematic roles and grammatical relations

agent corresponds to subject and theme to direct object

agent functions as direct object and theme as subject