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Theta Theory by Mustafa Abdulsahib
Theta Theory by Mustafa Abdulsahib
By
Mustafa Abdulsahib Abdulkareem
Mustafa111alhassan@gmail.com
Theta theory One of the (sub-)theories of government and
binding theory. Its main principle is the theta-criterion, which
requires that every argument is assigned just one theta role and
that every theta role is assigned to just one argument. Its main
role is to determine the positions to which NP-movement is
possible.(Crystal,1980:28)
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Suppose, for example, that we derive the passive, as
suggested above, from a deep structure of the form ‘NP1—
was—Passive Participle—NP2 (by NP3)’. We must ensure, as
noted above, that NP1 is empty, that NP2 has a lexical NP, and
that NP3, if chosen, also has a lexical NP. Theta theory will do
this by ensuring that the verb assigns the theta role, agent, to
NP3, if it is chosen, and the role of theme necessarily to NP2.
NP1 will receive no theta role. By the theta criterion, the verb is
associated with the right number of arguments and the subject
slot is empty: just what we wanted!
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A universal principle has been proposed called the theta-
criterion , which states in part that a particular thematic role may
occur only once in a sentence . Thus sentences like:
*The boy opened the door with the key with a lock-pick.
are semantically anomalous because two noun phrases bear the
thematic role of instrument .the theta-criterion is a constraint on
theta assignment . It permits one assignment per thematic role. If
all objects do not receive athematic role after theta assignment is
completed , the result is anomalous .
In English the thematic role of possessor is indicated two
ways syntactically : either as the boy 's red hat or as the red hat
of the boy. However ,*the boy and Bill have the thematic role of
possessor.
The sematic relations that exist between verbs and phrases
are part of every speaker's linguistic competence , and account
for much of the meaning in language
(Fromkin,Rodman,Hyams.,2003:195).
Cook and Newson, (1988:49) add that syntax is also
concerned with semantic relationships between the parts of the
sentence __ who is doing what to whom __ called in principles
and parameters theory ө-theory. These form a crucial part of the
syntactic meaning of the sentence relevant to logic form .a
sentence such as:
Sally gave Jim a record .
has three ө-roles : Sally refers to the person who is carrying out
the action, the record to the object affected by it , Jim to the
person who receives it . Principles and parameters theory
handles ө-theory. Again ө-theory takes into account how lexical
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items behave , for example the verb give always has a Goal ө-
role.
She gave the money to charity.
But drink does not:
*He is drinking it to somebody.
A verb such as give assigns three ө-roles to NPs :
He gave the suspect a bad time.
That is to say he , the suspect and a bad time are all NPs
bearing ө-roles projected from the verb give . ө-roles express
certain meaning relationships between elements , a type of
meaning directly relevant to the LF component and indirectly
relevant to the semantic component . it is also important that
each Noun Phrase has such a relationship ,ө-role, guaranteed by
a requirement of ө-theory known as the ө-criterion.
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Bibliography