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 o g o Mo unta in • Spo ke n in Gha na • T o 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 o 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 s o f nate member 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 edic ated of them ". is pr
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 o 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 • tsy ɛ c a n b e use d c la use -fina lly (no t disc usse d he re )
he pa rtic le k ɔ T 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
he pa rtic le k ɔ T • Alte rna tive to pic s: spide r vs. o ld ma n • Oppo sitio n: did no t die vs. die d
he pa rtic le k ɔ T • 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)
he pa rtic le k ɔ T 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 ?
– no a lte rna tive he pa rtic le k ɔ T
he pa rtic le k ɔ T – 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”
he pa rtic le k ɔ T – 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 o pic switc h”
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ T • 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
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ T • 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
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ T • Alte rna tive to pic s: his wife vs. his c hild • No ide ntic a l pre dic a te s
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ T • tsy ɛ 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
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ - no ide ntity T • Sho wing / g iving a nd a c c e pting a re two side s o f the sa me e ve nt.
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ - no ide ntity T • T wo side s o f the sa me e ve nt
he pa rtic le tsy ɛ - no ide ntity T • Pre dic a te s c o nne c te d, fo llo wing fro m e a c h o the r? • T o 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 – k ɔ – c o mme nts ha ve to b e o ppo site – tsy ɛ – 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 o 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 o ntra st. I n T he L imits o f S yntax , e d. Pe te r Culic o ve r & L o uise Mc Na lly. Ne w Yo rk: Ac a de mic Pre ss, 79–106.
hank you! T
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