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Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries

The epistemological view on the micropragmatic profile of utterances

Abstract

Asymmetries in topic-focus marking have extensively been discussed in recent typological contention, with a view to finding an interlinguistically viable definition of information structure units (Lazard 1994, Zimmermann & Onea 2011, Matić & Wedgwood 2013). In this paper I will address Zimmermann & Onea’s (2011) universal outline of focus as information unit indicating the presence of alternatives which are relevant for the interpretation of a sentence. To this view I will oppose an epistemically grounded profile of topic and focus according to which these two information units encode evidential meanings in conversation. Notably, it is argued that while focus encodes a meaning of individual evidentiality, topic bears a meaning of mutual evidentiality (Hintz & Hintz 2017).

Abstract

Asymmetries in topic-focus marking have extensively been discussed in recent typological contention, with a view to finding an interlinguistically viable definition of information structure units (Lazard 1994, Zimmermann & Onea 2011, Matić & Wedgwood 2013). In this paper I will address Zimmermann & Onea’s (2011) universal outline of focus as information unit indicating the presence of alternatives which are relevant for the interpretation of a sentence. To this view I will oppose an epistemically grounded profile of topic and focus according to which these two information units encode evidential meanings in conversation. Notably, it is argued that while focus encodes a meaning of individual evidentiality, topic bears a meaning of mutual evidentiality (Hintz & Hintz 2017).

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction. When data challenges theory 1
  4. Part I. Theoretical studies
  5. Distinguishing psychological Given/New from linguistic Topic/Focus makes things clearer 39
  6. Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries 57
  7. Alternatives to information structure 91
  8. Part II. Case studies
  9. How alternatives are created 115
  10. Is focus a root phenomenon? 147
  11. The curious case of the rare focus movement in French 183
  12. To be or not to be focus adverbials? 203
  13. Unmarked use of marked syntactic structures 239
  14. Translation as a source of pragmatic interference? 271
  15. Index 305
When Data Challenges Theory
This chapter is in the book When Data Challenges Theory
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.273.02mas

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Introduction. When data challenges theory 1
  4. Part I. Theoretical studies
  5. Distinguishing psychological Given/New from linguistic Topic/Focus makes things clearer 39
  6. Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries 57
  7. Alternatives to information structure 91
  8. Part II. Case studies
  9. How alternatives are created 115
  10. Is focus a root phenomenon? 147
  11. The curious case of the rare focus movement in French 183
  12. To be or not to be focus adverbials? 203
  13. Unmarked use of marked syntactic structures 239
  14. Translation as a source of pragmatic interference? 271
  15. Index 305
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