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Simple Focus: Difference between revisions
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# Attaching a focus prefix {{t|ku-}} to a single word ''always'' focuses just that word. | # Attaching a focus prefix {{t|ku-}} to a single word ''always'' focuses just that word. | ||
# Placing a focus word {{t|kú}} before a head ''always'' focuses the whole [[phrase]] that it projects. | # Placing a focus word {{t|kú}} before a head ''always'' focuses the whole [[phrase]] that it projects. | ||
#* | #* That is: {{t|kú}} before a determiner (D) focuses the DP, {{t|kú}} before a complementizer (C) focuses the CP… | ||
#* Basically, this means {{t|kú <u>sá hao</u>}} and {{t|kú <u>râo níchaq</u>}} and {{t|kú <u>ꝡä nuo jí</u>}} focus that whole underlined constituent. | |||
# There is no tone-stealing. You'll never see {{t|kû}} or {{t|kü}} or {{t|ku}}. | # There is no tone-stealing. You'll never see {{t|kû}} or {{t|kü}} or {{t|ku}}. | ||
Examples | == Examples == | ||
{{Example|Chuq jí béı ké shamu.|(No,) it was '''''the apple''''' that I ate.<br><small>{{t|béı}} precedes a determiner {{t|ké}}, so the whole DP is focused.</small>}} | {{Example|Chuq jí béı ké shamu.|(No,) it was '''''the apple''''' that I ate.<br><small>{{t|béı}} precedes a determiner {{t|ké}}, so the whole DP is focused.</small>}} | ||
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{{Example|Chuq jí bẹ́ıshamu.|(No,) it was the '''''apple''''' that I ate.<br><small>Again, {{t|beı-}} is prefixed onto {{t|shamu}}. The result is wrapped in {{Done|2}}.</small>}} | {{Example|Chuq jí bẹ́ıshamu.|(No,) it was the '''''apple''''' that I ate.<br><small>Again, {{t|beı-}} is prefixed onto {{t|shamu}}. The result is wrapped in {{Done|2}}.</small>}} | ||
{{Example|Chuq jí bẹ́ıke shamu.|(No,) it was '''''the''''' apple that I ate.<br><small>{{t|beı-}} is prefixed onto {{t|ké}}, so just the determiner is focused<ref>To focus just the {{Done|2}} determiner, we can use its [[ | {{Example|Chuq jí bẹ́ıke shamu.|(No,) it was '''''the''''' apple that I ate.<br><small>{{t|beı-}} is prefixed onto {{t|ké}}, so just the determiner is focused<ref>To focus just the {{Done|2}} determiner, we can use its [[allomorph]] {{t|ló}}, giving {{t|bẹ́ılo}} ('''''the''''').</ref> (e.g. ''the'' apple as opposed to ''an'' apple).</small>}} | ||
{{Example|Leo kụrıatua jí héqma.|I'm trying to '''''open''''' the container.<br><small>{{t|ku-}} is prefixed onto {{t|rıatua}}, so just the verb is focused.</small>}} | {{Example|Leo kụrıatua jí héqma.|I'm trying to '''''open''''' the container.<br><small>{{t|ku-}} is prefixed onto {{t|rıatua}}, so just the verb is focused.</small>}} | ||
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If we follow the rule about {{t|kú}} to its logical conclusion, we end up with {{t|kú verb}} meaning something a little surprising — it's probably unintuitive if you don't know Toaq [[syntax]]. | If we follow the rule about {{t|kú}} to its logical conclusion, we end up with {{t|kú verb}} meaning something a little surprising — it's probably unintuitive if you don't know Toaq [[syntax]]. | ||
If {{t|kú D}} (determiner) focuses a DP (determiner phrase), and {{t|kú C}} (complementizer) focuses a CP (complementizer phrase), then logically {{t|kú V}} (verb) focuses a VP (verb phrase), which is a combination of verb and object that's usually disjoint in [[Deep_structure_and_surface_structure|surface-level]] Toaq. | |||
{{Example|Leo kú <u>rıatua</u> jí <u>héqma</u>.|I'm trying to '''''open the container'''''.<br><small>{{t|kú}} precedes the verb {{t|rıatua}}, so the VP {{t|rıatua … héqma}} is focused.</small>}} | |||
[[Category: | It's good to have ''some'' interpretation for this placement, but it might be better to limit the placement of {{t|kú}} to only those heads/phrases that have more obvious boundaries. | ||
== Footnotes == | |||
[[Category:Proposals]] | |||