Distinguishing psychological Given/New from linguistic Topic/Focus makes things clearer
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Edoardo Lombardi Vallauri
Abstract
The paper suggests that there is no contradiction in cleft sentences focalizing information which was already introduced by the preceding context, because being already active in discourse (i.e., Given) is not the same as being linguistically encoded as a Topic, and Given information can be focalized in discourse. Clefts should be explained precisely as constructions devoted mainly to focalizing already active information. A side-effect of the analysis is to assess that the role of syntax in expressing Information Structure is a secondary one, because syntactic triggers of Information Structure only work when accompanied by prosodic triggers, whereas prosodic means can work alone.
Abstract
The paper suggests that there is no contradiction in cleft sentences focalizing information which was already introduced by the preceding context, because being already active in discourse (i.e., Given) is not the same as being linguistically encoded as a Topic, and Given information can be focalized in discourse. Clefts should be explained precisely as constructions devoted mainly to focalizing already active information. A side-effect of the analysis is to assess that the role of syntax in expressing Information Structure is a secondary one, because syntactic triggers of Information Structure only work when accompanied by prosodic triggers, whereas prosodic means can work alone.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. When data challenges theory 1
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Part I. Theoretical studies
- Distinguishing psychological Given/New from linguistic Topic/Focus makes things clearer 39
- Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries 57
- Alternatives to information structure 91
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Part II. Case studies
- How alternatives are created 115
- Is focus a root phenomenon? 147
- The curious case of the rare focus movement in French 183
- To be or not to be focus adverbials? 203
- Unmarked use of marked syntactic structures 239
- Translation as a source of pragmatic interference? 271
- Index 305
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. When data challenges theory 1
-
Part I. Theoretical studies
- Distinguishing psychological Given/New from linguistic Topic/Focus makes things clearer 39
- Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries 57
- Alternatives to information structure 91
-
Part II. Case studies
- How alternatives are created 115
- Is focus a root phenomenon? 147
- The curious case of the rare focus movement in French 183
- To be or not to be focus adverbials? 203
- Unmarked use of marked syntactic structures 239
- Translation as a source of pragmatic interference? 271
- Index 305
