The rise in the risefall contour: does it evoke a contrastive topic or a contrastive focus?

Linguistics ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke van Hoof
Keyword(s):  
Contrastive Focus ◽  
Contrastive Topic

Ergativity in Tibeto-Burman

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shobhana Chelliah
Keyword(s):  
Information Structure ◽  
Contrastive Focus ◽  
Contrastive Topic ◽  
Alignment Analysis ◽  
Focus Marking

A number of Tibeto-Burman languages exhibit morphological ergative alignment, while others clearly do not. In these languages, matters of information structure determine core argument marking. Specifically, both A and S marking may be used to indicate topic, contrastive topic, broad focus, and/or contrastive focus. It is most often A or S, not P, that is assigned such status and between A and S, it is most often A that takes marking. Preference for topic or focus marking on A creates the impression of ergative alignment, but an ergative alignment analysis is untenable as S may be marked under the same conditions and with the same morpheme as A. Considerations of discourse-level clause interpretation in Tibetan, Meitei, and Burmese show that information structure not transitivity determines A and S marking. The presence or absence of marking based on information structure is characterized as “unique differential marking”, distinguishing it from the differential marking observed in ergative and accusative alignment systems.

scholarly journals Do contrastive topics exist?

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA TITOV
Keyword(s):  
Contrastive Focus ◽  
Contrastive Topic ◽  
Independent Information ◽  
Different Types

This paper investigates a phenomenon that has been referred to in the linguistic literature as contrastive topic. Traditionally, contrastive topic is analyzed as an independent information-structural notion that is linked to a particular interpretation and intonation. The paper, however, argues that the information-structural notion of contrastive topic is redundant and can be reduced to that of contrastive focus. The apparent dissimilarity between contrastive topics and contrastive foci is attributed to a difference in the structures that contain them rather than any particular difference between the associated information-structural notions themselves. The structures that host contrastive topics and contrastive foci are claimed to be distinct due to the nature of an additional focused element obligatorily present in the sentence. Contrastive topics and contrastive foci themselves, in contrast, are shown to be associated with identical interpretations, which results in their identical syntactic distribution, strongly suggesting that they in fact represent one and the same information-structural phenomenon in two different types of construction.

Intonation of Contrastive Topic in Estonian

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heete Sahkai ◽  
Meelis Mihkla
Keyword(s):  
Contrastive Topic

scholarly journals Focus and contrastive topic in questions and answers, with particular reference to Turkish

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beste Kamali ◽  
Manfred Krifka
Keyword(s):  
Algebraic Representation ◽  
Similar Role ◽  
Discourse Coherence ◽  
Dynamic Interpretation ◽  
Contrastive Topic ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
Alternative Questions

AbstractMuch recent research has recognized the importance of focus and contrastive topic in assertions for discourse coherence. However, with few exceptions, it has been neglected that focus and contrastive topic also occur in questions, and have a similar role in establishing coherence. We propose a framework of dynamic interpretation based on the notion of Commitment Spaces that show that a uniform interpretation of focus and contrastive topic is possible. The algebraic representation format is rich enough so that a separate introduction of discourse trees is not necessary. The paper discusses these phenomena for Turkish, a language with an explicit focus marker for polar and alternative questions, which distinguishes focus from contrastive topic.

Should I move for focus or for contrastive topic?

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 89-102
Author(s):  
Deniz Özyıldız
Keyword(s):  
Contrastive Topic

scholarly journals Contrastive focus and emphasis

2008 ◽  
Vol 55 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 347-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malte Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Contrastive Focus
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