Verum focus, sentence mood, and contrast
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Horst Lohnstein
Abstract
Verum focus is a phenomenon which results from accentuation of a specific component (finite verb, complementizer, relative or wh-element) in the left peripheral position of a clause. It invokes the effect of emphasizing the expression of truth of a proposition as Höhle (1988; 1992), who coined the term, characterized the phenomenon. In German, verum focus typically appears in the left periphery in main as well as in embedded clauses. The distribution of the accent at the surface is driven by rather sophisticated conditions which relate the syntactic surface position of the accent to its PF and LF effects in systematic ways.
The close connection of the phenomenon with the concepts of truth, contrast, and sentential force calls for a theory which interrelates these notions. This leads to a perspective that connects verum focus to the part of the sentence that spells out the intention (not the intension) of the sentence meaning: sentence mood. The proposed line of reasoning intends to promote the view that verum focus can be derived from the systematic interaction of sentence mood with the regular properties of focus assignment. Since focus assignment relates accent and contrast, ‘truth’ is achieved by verum focus, if the sentence mood function is fulfilled.
Abstract
Verum focus is a phenomenon which results from accentuation of a specific component (finite verb, complementizer, relative or wh-element) in the left peripheral position of a clause. It invokes the effect of emphasizing the expression of truth of a proposition as Höhle (1988; 1992), who coined the term, characterized the phenomenon. In German, verum focus typically appears in the left periphery in main as well as in embedded clauses. The distribution of the accent at the surface is driven by rather sophisticated conditions which relate the syntactic surface position of the accent to its PF and LF effects in systematic ways.
The close connection of the phenomenon with the concepts of truth, contrast, and sentential force calls for a theory which interrelates these notions. This leads to a perspective that connects verum focus to the part of the sentence that spells out the intention (not the intension) of the sentence meaning: sentence mood. The proposed line of reasoning intends to promote the view that verum focus can be derived from the systematic interaction of sentence mood with the regular properties of focus assignment. Since focus assignment relates accent and contrast, ‘truth’ is achieved by verum focus, if the sentence mood function is fulfilled.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The grammatical realization of polarity contrast 1
- From polarity focus to salient polarity 9
- Verum focus, sentence mood, and contrast 55
- Complementizers and negative polarity in German hypothetical comparatives 89
- Veridicality and sets of alternative worlds 109
- Biased declarative questions in Swedish and German 129
- On two types of polar interrogatives in Hungarian and their interaction with inside and outside negation 173
- Two kinds of VERUM distinguished by aspect choice in Russian 203
- Polarity focus and non-canonical syntax in Italian, French and Spanish 227
- In search for polarity contrast marking in Italian 255
- Index 289
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The grammatical realization of polarity contrast 1
- From polarity focus to salient polarity 9
- Verum focus, sentence mood, and contrast 55
- Complementizers and negative polarity in German hypothetical comparatives 89
- Veridicality and sets of alternative worlds 109
- Biased declarative questions in Swedish and German 129
- On two types of polar interrogatives in Hungarian and their interaction with inside and outside negation 173
- Two kinds of VERUM distinguished by aspect choice in Russian 203
- Polarity focus and non-canonical syntax in Italian, French and Spanish 227
- In search for polarity contrast marking in Italian 255
- Index 289
