Focus, topic, cleft: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:42, 6 December 2023

kú, bï, and nä are three particles whose purpose is easily confused. Let’s examine the ways in which they differ.

Main use

Báq shamu bï, mí Laqme nä soqcho hóa kú báq soe.
As for apples, Laqme, she likes sour ones best.

In this sentence…

bï is a topic marker. It identifies what the sentence is about. Here, it tells the listener that we're making some point about apples.
nä is a cleft verb. It purely helps us rearrange words when we feel like it. Here, it achieves a pseudo SVO word order.
kú is a focus marker. It identifies the new or contrasting information in the sentence: What apples does Laqme like? Sour apples.

Syntax

The syntax of bï is: topıc bï comment.
- topic must be a definite noun form, like the cat or that I love you. If you want to refer back to the topic, you may not use hóa, but you may use any of the other strategies available to you, like máq or hụ́ꝡa.
The word nä can be used to front noun forms and adverbials.
- When fronting a noun form, the syntax is noun form nä relatıve clause. The relative clause must refer back to the noun form, either using hóa or an appropriate pronoun like hó.
- When fronting an adverbial, the syntax is adverbıal nä clause. In this usage, hóa is not used because there’s nothing to refer back to.
The word kú goes in front of the focused piece of information. To focus a single word instead of a whole constituent, you can use the prefix form ku-. See Simple Focus.

Gotchas

Focus is often rendered as an English cleft in translation: Shao paı jí kú súq It’s you who I want to be friends with. However, Toaq clefts do not impart focus: Súq nä shao paı jí hóa is just another way of saying Shao paı jí súq. You may, however, use the two features in tandem: Kú súq nä shao paı jí hóa.
For noun forms, bï does not bind hóa. You must use another anaphoric pronoun if you want to refer back to the topic. The crucial difference is that bï’s complement, the topic established, is not required to appear in the clause! So for example, this is valid Toaq (and valid English, although some languages like Japanese like this pattern better than English does) and the extra specification in square brackets is not required at all:
Báq kası bï, he duq garabıa jí [gêm máq].

As for walnuts, I tend to get nausea [from them].

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Syntax ==
 * The syntax of {{green|{{t|bï}}}} is: {{t|{{small caps|topic}} bï {{small caps|comment}}}}.
-** {{small caps|topic}} must be a [[definite]] [[noun phrase]], like <i>the cat</i> or <i>that I love you</i>. If you want to refer back to the topic, you may not use {{t|hóa}}, but you may use any of the other strategies available to you, like {{t|máq}} or {{t|hụ́ꝡa}}.
+** {{small caps|topic}} must be a [[definite]] [[noun form]], like <i>the cat</i> or <i>that I love you</i>. If you want to refer back to the topic, you may not use {{t|hóa}}, but you may use any of the other strategies available to you, like {{t|máq}} or {{t|hụ́ꝡa}}.
-* The word {{blue|{{t|nä}}}} can be used to front [[noun phrase]]s and [[adverbial]]s.
+* The word {{blue|{{t|nä}}}} can be used to front [[noun form]]s and [[adverbial]]s.
-** When fronting a noun phrase, the syntax is {{t|{{small caps|noun phrase}} nä {{small caps|relative clause}}}}. The [[relative clause]] must [[anaphora|refer back]] to the noun phrase, either using {{t|hóa}} or an appropriate [[pronoun]] like {{t|hó}}.
+** When fronting a noun form, the syntax is {{t|{{small caps|noun form}} nä {{small caps|relative clause}}}}. The [[relative clause]] must [[anaphora|refer back]] to the noun form, either using {{t|hóa}} or an appropriate [[pronoun]] like {{t|hó}}.
 ** When fronting an adverbial, the syntax is {{t|{{small caps|adverbial}} nä {{small caps|clause}}}}. In this usage, {{t|hóa}} is not used because there’s nothing to refer back to.
 * The word {{orange|{{t|kú}}}} goes in front of the focused piece of information. To focus a single word instead of a whole constituent, you can use the prefix form {{orange|{{t|ku-}}}}. See [[Simple Focus]].
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 == Gotchas ==
 * Focus is often rendered as an English cleft in translation: {{t|Shao paı jí <u>kú súq</u>}} <i><u>It’s you who</u> I want to be friends with</i>. However, Toaq clefts do not impart focus: {{t|Súq nä shao paı jí hóa}} is just another way of saying {{t|Shao paı jí súq}}. You may, however, use the two features in tandem: {{t|Kú súq nä shao paı jí hóa}}.
-* For noun phrases, {{t|bï}} does not bind {{t|hóa}}. You must use another anaphoric pronoun if you want to refer back to the topic. The crucial difference is that {{t|bï}}’s complement, the topic established, is not required to appear in the clause! So for example, this is valid Toaq (and valid English, although some languages like Japanese like this pattern better than English does) and the extra specification in square brackets is not required at all:
+* For noun forms, {{t|bï}} does not bind {{t|hóa}}. You must use another anaphoric pronoun if you want to refer back to the topic. The crucial difference is that {{t|bï}}’s complement, the topic established, is not required to appear in the clause! So for example, this is valid Toaq (and valid English, although some languages like Japanese like this pattern better than English does) and the extra specification in square brackets is not required at all:
 *: {{t|Báq kası bï, he duq garabıa jí}} <i>{{t|[gêm máq]}}</i>{{t|.}}
 *: <i>As for walnuts, I tend to get nausea <i>[from them]</i>.</i>