The expression of information structure : a documentation of its diversity across Africa / edited by Ines Fiedler, Anne Schwarz.

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

International Conference on Focus in African Languages, Corporate Author.

Contributor:

Fiedler, Ines.

Schwarz, Anne.

Conference Name:

International Conference on Focus in African Languages (2005 : Berlin, Germany)

International Conference on Focus in African Languages

Series:

Typological studies in language ; 91.

Typological studies in language ; 91

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

African languages--Grammar, Comparative--Congresses.

African languages.

Focus (Linguistics)--Congresses.

Focus (Linguistics).

Typology (Linguistics)--Congresses.

Typology (Linguistics).

Intonation (Phonetics)--Congresses.

Intonation (Phonetics).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (399 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Philadelphia : John Benjamins, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This study concerns the interaction of 'focus' with the verbal system of Ejagham, an Ekoid Bantu language. In particular it concerns the multiple forms of the perfective and imperfective aspects. The Ejagham system differs from the tendency in Bantu systems. The verb forms in Ejagham have a 'constituent' focus form that sub-categorizes predicates ("verbs") with terms ("nps"), and an 'operator' focus form used whenever the verbal operator is within the scope of focus. Bantu languages commonly have a form used when the verbal complement falls within the scope of focus but another form for other cases. So Bantu languages tend to group predicates with verbal operators. In addition, Ejagham conflates assertive and contrastive focus, a distinction that is important in other Bantoid languages in the general vicinity of Ejagham but not in Ejagham.

Contents:

Introduction / Ines Fiedler and Anne Schwarz

Information structure marking in Sandawe texts / Helen Eaton

Topic and focus fields in Naki / Jeff Good

The relation between focus and theticity in the Tuu family / Tom Güldemann

Focus marking in Aghem: syntax or semantics? / Larry M. Hyman

On the obligatoriness of focus marking: evidence from Tar B'arma / Peggy Jacob

Focalisation and defocalisation in Isu / Roland Kiessling

Discourse function of inverted passives in Makua-Marevone narratives / Oliver Kröger

Topic-focus articulation in Taqbaylit and Tashelhit Berber / Amina Mettouchi and Axel Fleisch

Focus in Atlantic languages / Stéphane Robert

Topic and focus construction asymmetry / Ronald P. Schaefer and Francis O. Egbokhare

Verb-and-predication focus markers in Gur / Anne Schwarz

Why contrast matters: information structure in Gawwada (East Cushitic) / Mauro Tosco

Focus and the Ejagham verb system / John R. Watters.

Notes:

Papers presented at the International Conference on Focus in African Languages, held October 6-8, Berlin, Germany.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786612558634

9781282558632

1282558633

9789027288424

9027288429

OCLC:

649903433