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Focus, topic, cleft: Difference between revisions
Toaq example, fewer tables (sorry!)
(Created page with "{{orange|{{t|kú}}}}, {{green|{{t|bï}}}}, and {{blue|{{t|nä}}}} are three particles that serve closely related pragmatic functions. Let’s examine the ways in which they differ. == Main use == {| class=wikitable ! {{orange|kú}} ! {{green|bï}} ! {{blue|nä}} |- | Identify the foreground, foremost important part of what you’re saying. | Identify the background – the pivot on which you’re making your point. | Rearrange words. |- ! c...") |
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== Main use == | == Main use == | ||
{| | {{Example|1=Báq shamu {{green|bï}}, mí Laqme {{blue|nä}} soqcho hóa {{orange|kú}} báq soe.|2={{green|As for}} apples, Laqme<span style="font-size: 250%; line-height: 0;">{{blue|,}}</span> she likes {{orange|''sour''}} ones best.}} | ||
In this sentence… | |||
* {{green|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. | |||
* {{blue|nä}} is a [[cleft]] verb. It purely helps us rearrange words when we feel like it. Here, it achieves a pseudo SVO word order. | |||
* {{orange|kú}} is a [[focus]] marker. It identifies the new or contrasting information in the sentence: What apples does Laqme like? ''Sour'' apples. | |||
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== Syntax == | == Syntax == | ||
* The syntax of {{green|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}}. | |||
* The word {{blue|nä}} can be used to front [[noun phrase]]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 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|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|ku-}}. See [[Simple Focus]]. | |||
| {{t|{{small caps|noun phrase}} nä {{small caps| | |||
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== Gotchas == | == 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 | * 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 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: | ||
*: {{t|Báq kası bï, he duq garabıa jí}} <i>{{t|[gêm máq]}}</i>{{t|.}} | *: {{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> | *: <i>As for walnuts, I tend to get nausea <i>[from them]</i>.</i> | ||