Topic marking and the construction of narrative in Xibe
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Taeho Jang
Abstract
Xibe is a Tungus-Manchu language spoken in Xinjiang Uygur [Uighur] Autonomous Region in Northwestern China. In this paper we present a corpusbased study of the structural and discourse-functional behavior of the particle da in spoken Xibe. From a structural perspective, we observe that da may occur in four syntactic contexts, but is never obligatory. Turning to discourse function, we show that da functions as a “topic marker”, in the sense of Li and Thompson (1976). This basic discourse function is extended to other usages, including: (1) linking two foregrounded clauses in which the first is structurally dependent on the second, and (2) the elaboration of a canonical “narrative construction” that contributes crucially to a subjective sense of style. Part of what identifies speakers as particularly skilled in storytelling is the frequency and fluency of their use of this narrative construction.
Abstract
Xibe is a Tungus-Manchu language spoken in Xinjiang Uygur [Uighur] Autonomous Region in Northwestern China. In this paper we present a corpusbased study of the structural and discourse-functional behavior of the particle da in spoken Xibe. From a structural perspective, we observe that da may occur in four syntactic contexts, but is never obligatory. Turning to discourse function, we show that da functions as a “topic marker”, in the sense of Li and Thompson (1976). This basic discourse function is extended to other usages, including: (1) linking two foregrounded clauses in which the first is structurally dependent on the second, and (2) the elaboration of a canonical “narrative construction” that contributes crucially to a subjective sense of style. Part of what identifies speakers as particularly skilled in storytelling is the frequency and fluency of their use of this narrative construction.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The editors vii
- The authors ix
- Preface xi
- Introduction xiii
- A deceptive case of split-intransitivity in Basque 1
- Some argument-structure properties of ‘give’ in the languages of Europe and Northern and Central Asia 17
- Grammatical relations in a typology of agreement systems 37
- Causatives in Agul 55
- Continuity of information structuring strategies in Eastern Khanty 115
- Patterns of asymmetry in argument structure across languages 133
- Topic marking and the construction of narrative in Xibe 151
- On the hierarchy of structural convergence in the Amdo Sprachbund 177
- Pyramids of spatial relators in Northeastern Turkic and its neighbors 191
- What’s in the head of head-marking languages? 211
- Transitives, causatives and passives in Korean and Japanese 241
- Core argument patterns and deep genetic relations 257
- Three takes on grammatical relations 295
- On aspect, aspectual domain and quantification in Finnish and Udmurt 325
- Indexes 355
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- The editors vii
- The authors ix
- Preface xi
- Introduction xiii
- A deceptive case of split-intransitivity in Basque 1
- Some argument-structure properties of ‘give’ in the languages of Europe and Northern and Central Asia 17
- Grammatical relations in a typology of agreement systems 37
- Causatives in Agul 55
- Continuity of information structuring strategies in Eastern Khanty 115
- Patterns of asymmetry in argument structure across languages 133
- Topic marking and the construction of narrative in Xibe 151
- On the hierarchy of structural convergence in the Amdo Sprachbund 177
- Pyramids of spatial relators in Northeastern Turkic and its neighbors 191
- What’s in the head of head-marking languages? 211
- Transitives, causatives and passives in Korean and Japanese 241
- Core argument patterns and deep genetic relations 257
- Three takes on grammatical relations 295
- On aspect, aspectual domain and quantification in Finnish and Udmurt 325
- Indexes 355
