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Glite Dictionary
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rheme

rheme

9.9
The part of a sentence that gives new information about the subject
  • noun
  • /ˈriːmi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rema
  • In the sentence 'Cats are playful animals', the rheme is 'playful animals' because it provides new information about the subject 'cats'.

Examples

  • Of course, I could explain such an organizational problem by using linguistic terms such as rheme/theme or given/new, but my students are more likely to understand what I'm talking about by using images from their physical experience.

    Academic text (1997)

  • In her explanation, she pointed out that the rheme of the sentence usually follows the subject and includes the most relevant information.

  • The teacher highlighted the rheme when discussing how different parts of a sentence convey new ideas about the topic.

Synonyms

rhema
vsrheme
  • Specialized
9.9

The part of a sentence that gives new information about the person or thing it is about

has identical meaning but defined more generally without stressing predicate position

Surface Forms

rheme singular
rhemes plural

Etymology

Rheme comes from the Greek rhēma, which means 'what is said' and is related to the English word rhetoric. So, in grammar a rheme is the part of a sentence that gives new 'information' about the topic.