theta role

Such an analysis would provide a natural way of accounting for the fact that (inter alia) transitive Objects and their ergative Subject counterparts are assigned the same theta-roles, and hence are subject to the same Selection Restrictions. For example, in (160) below:

(160) (a) John might drown the kittens/his wife/??his goldfish/?!his frying-pan/!his birth

(160) (b) The kittens/his wife/??his goldfish/?!his frying-pan/!his birth might drown

the italicised transitive Object in (160) (a) has the same theta role ( = that of THEME or PATIENT (i.e. victim!) of drown) as the italicised ergative Subject in (160) (b), and accordingly is subject to the same Selection Restrictions.