Topic and focus fields in Naki
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Jeff Good
Abstract
Naki, a mostly undescribed Bantoid language of Northwest Cameroon with svo as its canonical word order, makes use of an interesting information-structure encoding construction wherein a non-object focused element is shifted into immediately postverbal position. In this respect, Naki is similar to Aghem and Noni, two other languages of the area. However, unlike these languages, this word order shift is associated with special tone marking on the verb, and, in transitive sentences, it typically triggers fronting of objects to a preverbal position. This paper presents an analysis of this construction, situating it both with respect to general properties of Naki information-structure encoding and with respect to current theoretical approaches to information-structure sensitive word-order shifts. An important conclusion of the study is that Naki surface syntax seems better characterized in terms of linear fields than in terms of constituency trees.
Abstract
Naki, a mostly undescribed Bantoid language of Northwest Cameroon with svo as its canonical word order, makes use of an interesting information-structure encoding construction wherein a non-object focused element is shifted into immediately postverbal position. In this respect, Naki is similar to Aghem and Noni, two other languages of the area. However, unlike these languages, this word order shift is associated with special tone marking on the verb, and, in transitive sentences, it typically triggers fronting of objects to a preverbal position. This paper presents an analysis of this construction, situating it both with respect to general properties of Naki information-structure encoding and with respect to current theoretical approaches to information-structure sensitive word-order shifts. An important conclusion of the study is that Naki surface syntax seems better characterized in terms of linear fields than in terms of constituency trees.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Information structure marking in Sandawe texts 1
- Topic and focus fields in Naki 35
- The relation between focus and theticity in the Tuu family 69
- Focus marking in Aghem 95
- On the obligatoriness of focus marking 117
- Focalisation and defocalisation in Isu 145
- Discourse function of inverted passives in Makua-Marevone narratives 165
- Topic-focus articulation in Taqbaylit and Tashelhit Berber 193
- Focus in Atlantic languages 233
- Topic and focus construction asymmetry 261
- Verb-and-predication focus markers in Gur 287
- Why contrast matters 315
- Focus and the Ejagham verb system 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Information structure marking in Sandawe texts 1
- Topic and focus fields in Naki 35
- The relation between focus and theticity in the Tuu family 69
- Focus marking in Aghem 95
- On the obligatoriness of focus marking 117
- Focalisation and defocalisation in Isu 145
- Discourse function of inverted passives in Makua-Marevone narratives 165
- Topic-focus articulation in Taqbaylit and Tashelhit Berber 193
- Focus in Atlantic languages 233
- Topic and focus construction asymmetry 261
- Verb-and-predication focus markers in Gur 287
- Why contrast matters 315
- Focus and the Ejagham verb system 349
- Language index 377
- Subject index 379
