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Double focus: Difference between revisions
Link to where I'm getting the analysis of focused phrases from
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(Link to where I'm getting the analysis of focused phrases from) |
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== Explanation == | == Explanation == | ||
Generally, focus is about evoking alternatives. The statement "''I'' am hungry too" claims that I am hungry, and additionally someone other than me is hungry. There are two parts to this: the focused phrase '''I''<nowiki/>', which represents myself along with some possible alternatives to myself, and the focusing adverb 'too' which associates with the focused phrase (or rather, with the focus [[effect]]) to make some claim about these alternatives. | Generally, focus is about evoking alternatives. The statement "''I'' am hungry too" claims that I am hungry, and additionally someone other than me is hungry. There are two parts to this: the focused phrase '''I''<nowiki/>', which represents myself along with some possible alternatives to myself<ref>This is how focused phrases are analyzed in [https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/28568/Rooth-1985-PhD.pdf Rooth 1985] and modern type-shifter-based semantic theories such as [https://semanticsarchive.net/Archive/2JmMWRjY/charlow-semantics-exceptional-scope-diss.pdf Charlow 2014], at least.</ref>, and the focusing adverb 'too' which associates with the focused phrase (or rather, with the focus [[effect]]) to make some claim about these alternatives. | ||
In English, a focusing adverb can even associate with multiple focused phrases at once. For example, in "''I'' see ''you'' too", the focusing adverb 'too' associates with both '<nowiki/>''I''<nowiki/>' and '''you''<nowiki/>' to claim that I see you, and additionally some alternative to me sees some alternative to you. This is only possible because focusing adverbs can appear "above" multiple focused phrases in syntax. | In English, a focusing adverb can even associate with multiple focused phrases at once. For example, in "''I'' see ''you'' too", the focusing adverb 'too' associates with both '<nowiki/>''I''<nowiki/>' and '''you''<nowiki/>' to claim that I see you, and additionally some alternative to me sees some alternative to you. This is only possible because focusing adverbs can appear "above" multiple focused phrases in syntax. | ||