Difference between revisions of "Actant"
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| − | An '''actant''' is the same as a syntactic [[argument]], i.e. a [[noun phrase]] (or other referential constituent) that is required by a [[ | + | An '''actant''' is the same as a dependent syntactic [[argument]], i.e. a [[noun phrase]] (or other referential constituent) that is required by a [[valency]] of a [[predicate]]. |
===Comments=== | ===Comments=== | ||
| − | The term ''actant'' goes back to Tesnière (1959) and has been fairly common especially in European linguistics since the 1970s. However, the synonym [[argument]] is becoming more and more common. | + | *The term ''actant'' goes back to Tesnière (1959) and has been fairly common especially in European linguistics since the 1970s. However, the quasi-synonym [[argument]] is becoming more and more common. |
| + | **There is a slight difference between the notions of '''actant''' and '''argument'''. I.e., in attributive phrases (derived as a result of [[adjectivization]]) the determined constituent is an '''argument''' of its modifier, but not an '''actant''' of it. | ||
| − | In Tesnière's terminology, actants are opposed to [[circumstant]]s, i.e. optional modifiers of the clause. | + | *In Tesnière's terminology, actants are opposed to [[circumstant]]s, i.e. optional modifiers of the clause. |
| + | |||
| + | *The main subtypes of actants are [[subject]] (= [[first actant]])and [[object]]s ([[non-first actant]]s). | ||
| + | *There is some difference between [[semantic actants]] and [[syntactic actants]]. E.g.: | ||
| + | **(1) some syntactic actants, like "dummy subjects" (like ''it'' in Engl. ''It rains.''), correspond to no semantic actant. | ||
| + | **(2) some semantic actants, like "zero" object ('on what?') in Engl. ''It depends.'', correspond to no syntactic actant. | ||
===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
Revision as of 21:40, 4 August 2007
An actant is the same as a dependent syntactic argument, i.e. a noun phrase (or other referential constituent) that is required by a valency of a predicate.
Comments
- The term actant goes back to Tesnière (1959) and has been fairly common especially in European linguistics since the 1970s. However, the quasi-synonym argument is becoming more and more common.
- There is a slight difference between the notions of actant and argument. I.e., in attributive phrases (derived as a result of adjectivization) the determined constituent is an argument of its modifier, but not an actant of it.
- In Tesnière's terminology, actants are opposed to circumstants, i.e. optional modifiers of the clause.
- The main subtypes of actants are subject (= first actant)and objects (non-first actants).
- There is some difference between semantic actants and syntactic actants. E.g.:
- (1) some syntactic actants, like "dummy subjects" (like it in Engl. It rains.), correspond to no semantic actant.
- (2) some semantic actants, like "zero" object ('on what?') in Engl. It depends., correspond to no syntactic actant.
Reference
- Tesnière, Lucien. 1959. Éléments de syntaxe structurale. Paris: Klincksieck.
