Topic management and clause combination in the Papuan language Usan
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Ger P. Reesink
Abstract
This chapter describes topic management in the Papuan language Usan. The notion of ‘topic’ is defined by its pre-theoretical meaning ‘what someone’s speech is about’. This notion cannot be restricted to simple clausal or sentential constructions, but requires the wider context of long stretches of natural text. The tracking of a topic is examined in its relationship to clause combining mechanisms. Coordinating clause chaining with its switch reference mechanism is contrasted with subordinating strategies called ‘domain-creating’ constructions. These different strategies are identified by language-specific signals, such as intonation and morphosyntactic cues like nominalizations and scope of negation and other modalities. Keywords: Switch reference; coordination; subordination; presupposition; assertion; Tail-Head linkage
Abstract
This chapter describes topic management in the Papuan language Usan. The notion of ‘topic’ is defined by its pre-theoretical meaning ‘what someone’s speech is about’. This notion cannot be restricted to simple clausal or sentential constructions, but requires the wider context of long stretches of natural text. The tracking of a topic is examined in its relationship to clause combining mechanisms. Coordinating clause chaining with its switch reference mechanism is contrasted with subordinating strategies called ‘domain-creating’ constructions. These different strategies are identified by language-specific signals, such as intonation and morphosyntactic cues like nominalizations and scope of negation and other modalities. Keywords: Switch reference; coordination; subordination; presupposition; assertion; Tail-Head linkage
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Information structure and reference tracking in complex sentences 1
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Part I. Information structure in complex sentences
- Subordinate clauses and exclusive focus in Makhuwa 45
- Left dislocation and subordination in Avatime (Kwa) 71
- Chechen extraposition as an information ordering strategy 99
- Questions and syntactic islands in Tundra Yukaghir 127
- Constituent order and information structure in Karitiana 163
- Mood selection in the complement of negation matrices in Spanish 193
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Part II. Reference tracking in complex sentences
- Topic management and clause combination in the Papuan language Usan 231
- Switch-reference antecedence and subordination in Whitesands (Oceanic) 263
- Repeated dependent clauses in Yurakaré 291
- Clause chaining, switch reference and nominalisations in Aguaruna (Jivaroan) 309
- The multiple coreference systems in the Ese Ejja subordinate clauses 341
- Argument marking and reference tracking in Mekens 373
- Author index 397
- Language index 399
- Subject index 401
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Information structure and reference tracking in complex sentences 1
-
Part I. Information structure in complex sentences
- Subordinate clauses and exclusive focus in Makhuwa 45
- Left dislocation and subordination in Avatime (Kwa) 71
- Chechen extraposition as an information ordering strategy 99
- Questions and syntactic islands in Tundra Yukaghir 127
- Constituent order and information structure in Karitiana 163
- Mood selection in the complement of negation matrices in Spanish 193
-
Part II. Reference tracking in complex sentences
- Topic management and clause combination in the Papuan language Usan 231
- Switch-reference antecedence and subordination in Whitesands (Oceanic) 263
- Repeated dependent clauses in Yurakaré 291
- Clause chaining, switch reference and nominalisations in Aguaruna (Jivaroan) 309
- The multiple coreference systems in the Ese Ejja subordinate clauses 341
- Argument marking and reference tracking in Mekens 373
- Author index 397
- Language index 399
- Subject index 401
