Remarks on information structure marking asymmetries
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Viviana Masia
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
- 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
Chapters in this book
- 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
