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Chapter 8. A topic-marking cleft?

Analyzing clause-initial pronouns in Movima

Abstract

While basic clauses in Movima are predicate-initial, one construction contains an initial free pronoun. Syntactic tests show that this “pronominal construction”, rather than resulting from a word-order change, is syntactically complex: The pronoun serves as the predicate and the verb behaves like a relative clause. Such biclausal structures representing a propositionally equivalent alternative to a basic clause are known as clefts.

However, the functions of the pronominal construction contradict those of canonical clefts, which primarily mark argument focus. The free pronoun encodes as a sentence topic a recently introduced discourse referent, about which the verb provides an assertion. Therefore, the pronominal construction challenges common definitions of clefts that link a particular structure to a prototypical function.

Abstract

While basic clauses in Movima are predicate-initial, one construction contains an initial free pronoun. Syntactic tests show that this “pronominal construction”, rather than resulting from a word-order change, is syntactically complex: The pronoun serves as the predicate and the verb behaves like a relative clause. Such biclausal structures representing a propositionally equivalent alternative to a basic clause are known as clefts.

However, the functions of the pronominal construction contradict those of canonical clefts, which primarily mark argument focus. The free pronoun encodes as a sentence topic a recently introduced discourse referent, about which the verb provides an assertion. Therefore, the pronominal construction challenges common definitions of clefts that link a particular structure to a prototypical function.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Investigating information structure in lesser-known and endangered languages 1
  4. Part I. Prosody and information structure
  5. Chapter 2. Prosodic separation of postverbal material in Georgian 17
  6. Chapter 3. Prosodic and morphological focus marking in Ixcatec (Otomanguean) 51
  7. Chapter 4. On being first 85
  8. Chapter 5. Factors behind variation in marking information structure 119
  9. Chapter 6. Macrosyntactic corpus annotation 157
  10. Part II. Syntax and information structure
  11. Chapter 7. Focus marking and differential argument marking 195
  12. Chapter 8. A topic-marking cleft? 217
  13. Chapter 9. Subjects and focus in clefts 245
  14. Chapter 10. The influence of the state distinction on word order and information structure in Kabyle and Siwi (Berber) 265
  15. Chapter 11. Information structure in the Neo-Aramaic dialect of Telkepe 297
  16. Chapter 12. Information structure in a spoken corpus of Cameroon Pidgin English 329
  17. Part III. Views from better described languages
  18. Chapter 13. The illocutionary basis of information structure 359
  19. Chapter 14. Annotation guidelines for Questions under Discussion and information structure 403
  20. Language index 445
  21. Notion index 447
Information Structure in Lesser-described Languages
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Information Structure in Lesser-described Languages
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.199.08hau

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Investigating information structure in lesser-known and endangered languages 1
  4. Part I. Prosody and information structure
  5. Chapter 2. Prosodic separation of postverbal material in Georgian 17
  6. Chapter 3. Prosodic and morphological focus marking in Ixcatec (Otomanguean) 51
  7. Chapter 4. On being first 85
  8. Chapter 5. Factors behind variation in marking information structure 119
  9. Chapter 6. Macrosyntactic corpus annotation 157
  10. Part II. Syntax and information structure
  11. Chapter 7. Focus marking and differential argument marking 195
  12. Chapter 8. A topic-marking cleft? 217
  13. Chapter 9. Subjects and focus in clefts 245
  14. Chapter 10. The influence of the state distinction on word order and information structure in Kabyle and Siwi (Berber) 265
  15. Chapter 11. Information structure in the Neo-Aramaic dialect of Telkepe 297
  16. Chapter 12. Information structure in a spoken corpus of Cameroon Pidgin English 329
  17. Part III. Views from better described languages
  18. Chapter 13. The illocutionary basis of information structure 359
  19. Chapter 14. Annotation guidelines for Questions under Discussion and information structure 403
  20. Language index 445
  21. Notion index 447
Heruntergeladen am 13.4.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.199.08hau/html
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