Definición y Significado de "thematic role"

What is "thematic role"?

Thematic role refers to the function that a noun or noun phrase plays in the context of a sentence, especially regarding the action or state described by the verb. For example, in the sentence "The dog chased the ball," "the dog" has the thematic role of the agent, which means it is the doer of the action, while "the ball" has the thematic role of the theme, which means it is the entity being acted upon. Understanding thematic roles helps to clarify the relationships between different elements in a sentence and how they contribute to its overall meaning. This concept is essential in the study of syntax and semantics in linguistics.