affected (adj.)

A term used by some LINGUISTS as part of the GRAMMATICAL or SEMANTIC analysis of a SENTENCE in terms of CASES or PARTICIPANT ROLES: it usually refers to an entity (ANIMATE or inanimate) which does not cause the happening denoted by the verb, but is directly involved in some other way. It is typically the role of the DIRECT OBJECT, e.g. I kicked the ball. PATIENT, OBJECTIVE and GOAL have sometimes been used in this sense, but alternative interpretations for these terms are common.