Ma rke d to pic s a nd c o ntra st in Ava time Sa skia va n Putte - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ma rke d to pic s a nd c o ntra st in Ava time

Sa skia va n Putte n

MPI fo r Psyc ho ling uistic s

“I

nfo rma tio n struc ture : e mpiric a l pe rspe c tive s o n the o ry”, De c e mb e r 2-3, Po tsda m

Ava time

Ava time

• Nig e r-Co ng o – K

wa – Gha na -T

• g o Mo unta in
• Spo ke n in Gha na
• T
• ne la ng ua g e , thre e le ve l to ne s (L

, M, H)

• No un c la ss syste m
• Ob lig a to ry sub je c t ma rking o n ve rb
• SVO wo rd o rde r
• Optio na l fo c us ma rking b y fro nting + fo c us ma rke r

(hig h to ne )

• L

e ft dislo c a tio n is fre q ue nt

Co ntra stive to pic s

T

• pic : Wha t the se nte nc e is a b o ut. (e g . Re inha rd1982)

Co ntra stive to pic :

• A to pic tha t e vo ke s a lte rna tive to pic s. (e g . K

rifka 2007 ; Büring 2003 ; Va llduvi & Vilkuna 1998)

• Princ e (1998: 290-291): "c o ntra st is no t a primitive

no tio n b ut ra the r a rise s whe n alter

nate member s o f

so me sa lie nt se t a re e vo ke d a nd, mo st impo rta ntly, whe n the re is fe lt to b e a sa lie nt opposition in what

is pr edic ated of them".

Co ntra stive to pic s

Co ntra stive to pic s: siste r vs. b ro the r Oppo sitio n in wha t is pre dic a te d o f the m (the ir diffe re nt o c c upa tio ns)

Ava time pa rtic le s

• F
• llo w a sso c ia te
• Asso c ia te usua lly NP, mo st o fte n sub je c t o r le ft

dislo c a te d

• tsyɛ

c a n b e use d c la use -fina lly (no t disc usse d he re )

T he pa rtic le kɔ

Alte rna tive s: third b ro the r vs. o the r two b ro the rs Oppo sitio n: sta nding up vs. sle e ping

T he pa rtic le kɔ

• Alte rna tive to pic s: spide r vs. o ld ma n
• Oppo sitio n: did no t die vs. die d

T he pa rtic le kɔ

• Ma rks a to pic a s c o ntra stive in the se nse o f

Princ e ?

1. T he re is a n alter

native to the to pic

2. Wha t is pre dic a te d a b o ut the to pic is opposite to wha t is pre dic a te d o r pre suppo se d a b o ut the a lte rna tive

• Ac c o unts fo r the ma jo rity o f c a se s (45 o ut o f 64)

T he pa rtic le kɔ

Othe r c a se s

• Oppo sitio n, no a lte rna tive to to pic (8 c a se s)

– Oppo sitio n with hypo the tic a l situa tio n invo lving the sa me to pic .

• Alte rna tive to to pic b ut no o ppo sitio n (11 c a se s)

– Co ntra stive to pic in the b ro a d se nse / to pic switc h ?

T he pa rtic le kɔ – no a lte rna tive

T he pa rtic le kɔ – no a lte rna tive

• No “two se ts o f mo ne y” (4)
• No a lte rna tive fe stiva ls (5)
• Oppo sitio n b e twe e n a lte rna tive “re a litie s”

T he pa rtic le kɔ – no o ppo sitio n

• Alte rna tive to pic ‘ he ’ (ma in pro ta g o nist)
• No o ppo sitio n b e twe e n ‘ him’ a nd the g irl
• “T
• pic switc h”

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• T

ra nsla te d a s ‘ a lso / to o ’

• Ca n b e use d a s fo c us pa rtic le

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• Mo stly use d with to pic s
• Co mme nts o n a lte rna tive to pic s a re ide ntic a l
• T

his re pre se nts the ma jo rity o f c a se s

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• Alte rna tive to pic s: his wife vs. his c hild
• No ide ntic a l pre dic a te s

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• tsyɛ

ma rks c o ntra stive to pic s in the b ro a de r se nse : indic a ting tha t the re is a n a lte rna tive to pic a b o ut whic h so me thing is a lso sa id.

• But the re is mo re : in the ma jo rity o f c a se s pre dic a te s

a re ide ntic a l (9)

• No stric t ide ntity c o nditio n a s fo r E

ng lish ‘ to o ’ (10)

• Co nditio n o f c o he re nc e in the b ro a de r se nse ?

– I n (10) b o th pre dic a te s de sc rib e so me thing tha t ha ppe ne d while the ma n wa s in priso n

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• no ide ntity
• Sho wing / g iving a nd a c c e pting a re two side s o f

the sa me e ve nt.

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• no ide ntity
• T

wo side s o f the sa me e ve nt

T he pa rtic le tsyɛ

• no ide ntity
• Pre dic a te s c o nne c te d, fo llo wing fro m e a c h o the r?
• T
• pic switc h?

Co nc lusio n

• Bo th ma rke rs c a n indic a te tha t the re is a n

a lte rna tive to the to pic

• Ne ithe r is e xc lusive ly use d fo r this purpo se
• Co nditio ns o n c o mme nt

– kɔ – c o mme nts ha ve to b e o ppo site – tsyɛ – c o mme nts ha ve to b e ide ntic a l, simila r o r re la te d

• F

unc tio ns c o nve rg e a s indic a to r o f ‘ to pic switc h’ (e xa mple s (6), (7) a nd (13))

• Pre -e xisting info rma tio n struc ture c a te g o rie s do no t

ma p nic e ly o nto the se pa rtic le s

Re fe re nc e s

• Büring , Da nie l. 2003. On D-tre e s, b e a ns a nd B-a c c e nts. L

ing uistic s and philo so phy 26, 511-545.

• K

rifka , Ma nfre d. 2007. Ba sic no tio ns o f info rma tio n struc ture . I n I nte rdisc iplinary studie s o n info rmatio n struc ture 6, e d. F e ry, C., G. F a nse lo w a nd M. K rifka . Po tsda m: Unive rsitä tsve rla g Po tsda m, 13-55.

• Princ e , E

lle n F . 1998. On the limits o f synta x, with re fe re nc e to to pic a liza tio n a nd le ft-dislo c a tio n. I n T he L imits o f S yntax, e d. Pe te r Culic o ve r & L

• uise Mc Na lly. Ne w Yo rk: Ac a de mic Pre ss, 281-302.
• Re inha rt, T

a nya . 1982. Prag matic s and ling uistic s: an analysis o f se nte nc e to pic s. Unive rsity o f I ndia na L ing uistic s Club . (a lso Philo so pic a 1981, 27.53-94).

• Va llduví, E

nric & Ma ria Vilkuna . 1998. On Rhe me a nd K

• ntra st. I

n T he L imits o f S yntax, e d. Pe te r Culic o ve r & L

• uise Mc Na lly. Ne w Yo rk:

Ac a de mic Pre ss, 79–106.

T hank you!