Instrument As A Semantic Role
Instrument As A Semantic Role
Instrument is the semantic role of an inanimate thing that an agent uses to implement an event. It is the stimulus or immediate physical cause of an event.
Instrument words are usually nouns occurring in the noun phrase of a clause:
- Someone cut the bread with a knife.
In some languages, the noun occurs in a second clause or serial verb construction:
- Someone took a knife (and) cut the bread.
(English)
- The cook cut the cake with a knife.
- She used a crayon to scribble a note.
- That window was broken by a hammer.
Page/s: 159–161
Source: Longacre 1983
Longacre, Robert E. 1983.The grammar of discourse. New York: Plenum.
Page/s: 199–203
Source: Larson 1984
Larson, Mildred L. 1984.Meaning-based translation: A guide to cross-language equivalence. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Related terms
- RT⇆ Agent As A Semantic Role
- RT⇆ Noun Phrase
- RT⇆ Semantic Role
- RT⇆ Serial Verb Construction
