What is instrument as a semantic role?

Definition
	Instrument is the semantic role of an inanimate thing that an agent uses to implement an event. It is the stimulus or immediate physical cause of an event.

Discussion
	Instrument words are usually nouns occurring in the noun phrase of a clause:
	Someone cut the bread with a knife.
	In some languages, the noun occurs in a second clause or serial verb construction:
	Someone took a knife (and) cut the bread.

Examples (English)
	The cook cut the cake with a knife. She used a crayon to scribble a note. That window was broken by a hammer.

Generic
	Instrument is a kind of
	What is a semantic role?

Sources
	Larson 1984 199–203
	Longacre 1983 159–161

Context for this page:

Concept module: instrument
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): I
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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