Givenness and discourse anaphors
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Luis López
Abstract
This chapter argues that Catalan Clitic Right Dislocation and English deaccenting package different types of information (contra Vallduví 1992, Vallduví & Engdahl 1996), only the former being a true discourse anaphor. This chapter further hypothesizes the following generalization: A language in which stress is displaced to express givenness is a language in which stress assignment is sensitive to syntax, while in a language in which stress assignment is a purely linear phenomenon stress cannot shift. A model of the syntax-phonology interface is sketched in which this generalization follows from the location of stress in the grammatical architecture.
Abstract
This chapter argues that Catalan Clitic Right Dislocation and English deaccenting package different types of information (contra Vallduví 1992, Vallduví & Engdahl 1996), only the former being a true discourse anaphor. This chapter further hypothesizes the following generalization: A language in which stress is displaced to express givenness is a language in which stress assignment is sensitive to syntax, while in a language in which stress assignment is a purely linear phenomenon stress cannot shift. A model of the syntax-phonology interface is sketched in which this generalization follows from the location of stress in the grammatical architecture.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface VII
- List of contributors IX
- List of abbreviations XI
- Introduction 1
- Contrastive topics and distributed foci as instances of sub-informativity 15
- Givenness and discourse anaphors 51
- Constraints on subject-focus mapping in French and English 77
- Wh -questions in French and English 101
- A comparative perspective on intensive reflexives 139
- Focus types and argument asymmetries 169
- Topicality in L1-acquisition 199
- Formal and functional constraints on constituent order and their universality 231
- On the foundations of the contrastive study of information structure 277
- Subject index 305
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface VII
- List of contributors IX
- List of abbreviations XI
- Introduction 1
- Contrastive topics and distributed foci as instances of sub-informativity 15
- Givenness and discourse anaphors 51
- Constraints on subject-focus mapping in French and English 77
- Wh -questions in French and English 101
- A comparative perspective on intensive reflexives 139
- Focus types and argument asymmetries 169
- Topicality in L1-acquisition 199
- Formal and functional constraints on constituent order and their universality 231
- On the foundations of the contrastive study of information structure 277
- Subject index 305
