English

Alternative forms

• theta-role
• θ-role

Noun

theta role ‎(plural theta roles)

1. (grammar, esp. transformational grammar) Abbreviation of thematic role.
   • 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 8, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 447:

     Such an analysis would provide a natural way of accounting for the fact that (inter alia) transitive Objects and their ergative Subject counterparts are assigned the same theta-roles, and hence are subject to the same Selection Restrictions. For example, in (160) below:
     (160) (a)      John might drown the kittens/his wife/??his goldfish/?!his frying-pan/!his birth
     (160) (b)      The kittens/his wife/??his goldfish/?!his frying-pan/!his birth might drown
     the italicised transitive Object in (160) (a) has the same theta role ( = that of THEME or PATIENT (i.e. victim!) of drown) as the italicised ergative Subject in (160) (b), and accordingly is subject to the same Selection Restrictions.

See also

• thematic relation