The chômeur, in the context of

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

, is an element of a sentence that has been syntactically "demoted" from the nucleus to the periphery of a

clause In language, a clause is a Constituent (linguistics), constituent or Phrase (grammar), phrase that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic Predicate (grammar), predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject (grammar), ...

. The term comes from the French word for "unemployed". In a

passive Passive may refer to: * Passive voice, a grammatical voice common in many languages, see also Pseudopassive * Passive language, a language from which an interpreter works * Passivity (behavior), the condition of submitting to the influence of ...

sentence, the

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...

is a chômeur, having been "demoted" from the central or nuclear function of subject. For instance, by changing the sentence ''Dogs attack the postman'' into ''The postman is attacked by dogs'', one transforms "dogs" into a chômeur. The concept was introduced and used extensively in relational grammar; however, the term is rarely used outside of this framework. The term was suggested by the linguist Colette Craig.

Sources

* Perlmutter, David M. (Ed.). (1983). ''Studies in relational grammar 1''. Chicago: Chicago University Press. Grammar {{Ling-stub

See also

Sources