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3.1.2. Semantic roles
This page includes the definition of semantic roles as found on the Unified Verb Index (UVI) reference page.
The definitions from UVI are in italics, while further additions we made (e.g., changes made to definitions) are in regular font. We also added examples from Italian. At the end of the page, we provide a preliminary mapping between UVI semantic roles and the ones used in the MoCCa project (Model of Comparative Concepts for Aligning Constructicons), which come from the glossary of comparative concepts in Croft's (2023) Morphosyntax.
An Actor in an event that initiates and effects the event and that exists independently of the event. If the Causer is an animate and volitional Actor, the subcategory Agent (see 1.1.1.) should be used instead.
| 1) Il fulmine ha bruciato l'albero. |
| 'The lightning burnt down the tree.' |
Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, and who exists independently of the event:
| 2) Il postino mi consegnò una lettera. |
| 'The postman handed me a letter.' |
An Actor in an event who initiates and carries out the event intentionally or consciously, with equal responsibility to the Agent, and who exists independently of the event.
Cause in an event that elicits an emotional or psychological response. It is specific to experiential events, which involve both physical perception and mental/internal states.
| Ieri ho visto l'arcobaleno |
| 'Yesterday I saw a rainbow.' |
| A Garfield piacciono le lasagne |
| 'Garfield likes lasagna.' |
An event or state of affairs that precedes or partially precedes another event or state and is necessary for that other event or state to occur. Both nouns and subordinate clauses can be tagged as Precondition.
| Una parata del portiere ha salvato il risultato. |
| 'A save by the goalkeeper secured the result.' |
Theme that participates in an event with another theme unequally and is much more central to the event. For instance, it can be used in possessive constructions to tag the possessor or in comparative constructions to tag the comparee.
Example:
Undergoer in an event that is manipulated by an agent, and with which an intentional act is performed; it exists independently of the event. Example:
An Undergoer in an event that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent; is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event. Example:
An Undergoer in an event, with equal status to the Patient, that is usually structurally changed, for instance by experiencing a change of state or condition; is often acted upon by an agent, is causally involved or directly affected by other participants; and exists independently of the event.
A Patient that is aware of the event undergone, which often involves an emotional or psychological response elicited by a Stimulus (specific to events of perception). Example:
Undergoer that is central to an event or state that does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state. Example:
An Undergoer, with equal status to the Theme, that is central to an event or state, does not have control over the way the event occurs, is not structurally changed by the event, and/or is characterized as being in a certain position or condition throughout the state.
Theme characterized by information content. Example:
A Theme considered valuable to one or more participants in the event, especially money. Example:
Undergoer in a state or an event that is (potentially) advantaged or disadvantaged by the event or state. Example:
Definition not found.
No definition in UVI Un evento, espresso sia in forma di predicazione secondaria, sia da un nome di evento. Example:
Definition not found
Circumstance that is a property of an entity or entities, as opposed to the entity itself. Example:
Way or style of performing an action, or the degree/strength of a cognitive or emotional state. Example:
Place along a formal scale. Example:
Value indicating the amount of measurable change to a participant over the course of the event. Example:
Length or extent of time. Example:
Definition not found.
Place that is concrete. Example:
The point or object around which the Theme travels in elliptical motion Example:
Source that indicates the concrete, physical location where an event begins or a state becomes true. Example:
| 1) L'autostrada va da Milano a Napoli. |
| 'The motorway runs from Milan to Naples.' |
Goal that is a concrete, physical location. Example:
The starting point (possibly metaphoric) of an action; it exists independently of the event. Example:
Patient that exists at the starting point of action (inheritance from Source), which is transformed through the event into a new entity; concrete or abstract. Example:
Source that indicates the state in which an entity begins. Example:
The end point (possibly metaphoric) of the action, which exists independently of the event. Example:
An animate end point of the action (i.e., a subtype of Destination). Example:
Goal that comes into existence through the event. Example:
A concrete object that is the end point of the action and comes into existence through the action (i.e., a subtype of Result). Example:
Trajectory refers to the path or the 'region' the motion traverses when the motion event expresses a change of location. Example:
Here we propose a tentative mapping of Comparative Concepts in MoCCA and UVI semantic categories, in order to align (at least some of) our constructions with the Constructicons in the project. We only included semantic roles listed in Morphosyntax glossary.
| MoCCA semantic role | UVI semantic role(s) |
|---|---|
| beneficiary | Beneficiary |
| comparee | Pivot |
| experiencer | Experiencer |
| expertum | _ |
| agent | Agent |
| cause | Precondition |
| causee | Agent, Causer (?) |
| causer | Causer |
| comitative | |
| force | Causer |
| instrumental | Instrument |
| figure | Theme |
| ground | Location |
| maleficiary | Beneficiary ( |
| patient | Patient |
| possessor role | Pivot |
| possessum role | Theme |
| recipient | Recipient |
| standard | Theme |
| stimulus | Stimulus |
| theme | Theme |