In the last decade, the notions of topic and focus have come to
play an increasingly relevant role in theoretical linguistics.
Although these notions are often taken for granted, they are still
poorly understood. This study offers a detailed analysis of the
precise definitions of these and related terms (theme, topic,
background, given information, focus, contrast, etc.) as well as of
their combination into information structures such as the
topic-focus and background-focus articulations. It recommends
pursuing a feature-based typology of topics and argues against a
dual nature of focus (i.e. presentational vs. contrastive).
Central questions addressed are the analysis of subjects in Spanish
and English (DP vs. NP and null vs. preverbal vs. postverbal) and
the nature of constructions such as topicalization,
left-dislocation, and focus preposing. Further, it is proposed that
in Spanish information structure can be read off the syntax: while
an overt DP in the preverbal specifier subject position is
interpreted as the topic in a topic-focus articulation, one or more
left- or right-dislocated phrases are interpreted as part of the
background in background-focus/focus-background structures.
General
Imprint: |
Routledge
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics |
Release date: |
December 2004 |
First published: |
December 2004 |
Authors: |
Eugenia Casielles-Suarez
|
Dimensions: |
234 x 156 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
248 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-415-97095-2 |
Categories: |
Books >
Language & Literature >
Language & linguistics >
General
|
LSN: |
0-415-97095-4 |
Barcode: |
9780415970952 |
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