This introduction to the role of information structure in grammar discusses a wide range of phenomena on the syntax-information structure interface. It examines theories of information structure and considers their effectiveness in explaining whether and how information structure maps onto syntax in discourse. Professor Erteschik-Shir begins by discussing the basic notions and properties of information structure, such as topic and focus, and considers their properties from different theoretical perspectives. She covers definitions of topic and focus, architectures of grammar, information structure, word order, the interface between lexicon and information structure, and cognitive aspects of information structure. In her balanced and readable account, the author critically compares the effectiveness of different theoretical approaches and assesses the value of insights drawn from work in processing and on language acquisition, variation, and universals. This book will appeal to graduate students of syntax and semantics in departments of linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science.
Author(s): Nomi Erteschik-Shir
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 256
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 9
1. Introduction......Page 12
2.1.1. Danish topicalization......Page 18
2.1.2. Catalan: Links and Tails......Page 21
2.1.3. Topics and truth values......Page 24
2.1.4. Stage topics......Page 27
2.1.5. Permanently available topics......Page 28
2.1.6. Topic tests......Page 30
2.1.7. Multiple topics......Page 33
2.1.8. Topic drop......Page 34
2.1.9. Scope and topic properties......Page 36
2.2.1. Semantic definitions......Page 38
2.2.2. Marking foci by stress......Page 41
2.2.3. Deriving foci from stress......Page 43
2.2.4. Deriving stress from syntax......Page 45
2.2.5. Deriving syntax from IS......Page 48
2.2.6. Deriving focus pragmatically......Page 49
2.2.7. Summing up focus properties......Page 51
2.3. Putting it all together: f(ocus)-structure......Page 53
2.3.1. Topic–focus interactions......Page 54
2.3.2. Notation......Page 58
2.3.3. Contrastive and restrictive topics and foci......Page 59
2.3.4. Indefinite topics......Page 62
2.3.5. Some answers......Page 64
2.4. IS architecture......Page 66
2.4.1. Stylistic components......Page 68
2.4.2. Σ-structure......Page 69
2.4.3. IS at PF......Page 71
2.4.5. Lexical features......Page 74
2.4.6. Multiply-dimensional architectures......Page 77
2.5.1. Functionalism vs. formalism......Page 83
2.5.2. Functionalist methodology......Page 89
3.1. Configurational languages......Page 91
3.2. The left periphery......Page 97
3.2.1. Cartography......Page 98
3.2.2. An even finer structure of the left periphery......Page 106
3.3. The importance of information structure......Page 112
3.3.1. Distinguishing topicalization from left dislocation in English......Page 118
3.3.2. Focus preposing and Yiddish movement in English......Page 121
3.3.3. When the left-peripheral element does not have information-structural impact......Page 123
3.3.4. Fronting non-topics......Page 124
3.3.5. Focusing the subject: existentials......Page 130
3.3.7. Other strategies for marking subjects as non-topics......Page 132
3.3.8. Left-peripheral prospects......Page 134
3.4. Scrambling......Page 135
3.4.1. Scrambling in Russian......Page 136
3.4.2. Scrambling in Japanese......Page 142
3.4.3. Dutch scrambling......Page 147
3.4.4. Scrambling in Persian......Page 156
3.5. Scandinavian object shift......Page 158
3.6. Concluding remarks on word order......Page 163
4.1.1. Argument identification, a constraint on topicalization......Page 165
4.2.1. I(dentificational)- dependencies......Page 170
4.2.3. The constraint on I-dependencies......Page 177
4.2.4. Wh-topics......Page 179
4.2.5. Topic-islands......Page 180
4.2.6. That-t effects......Page 182
4.3. Superiority......Page 185
4.3.1. Superiority in other languages......Page 189
4.4.1. Extraposition from NP......Page 196
4.4.2. Extraction from NP......Page 198
4.5. Processing......Page 200
4.6. Architectural consequences......Page 204
5.1. The theory of atoms......Page 205
5.1.1. Aspectual focus......Page 207
5.2.1. Manner-of-speaking verbs......Page 208
5.2.2. Picture NPs......Page 209
5.2.3. Datives......Page 211
5.3. Missing objects......Page 214
5.3.1. Missing objects in “Activities”......Page 217
5.3.2. Object omission in habituals......Page 219
5.4. Contextual binding of lexical constituents......Page 221
6. The Division of Labor between Syntax and IS......Page 224
References......Page 230
C......Page 248
I......Page 249
P......Page 250
S......Page 251
Y......Page 252
W......Page 253
G......Page 254
M......Page 255
V......Page 256
Y......Page 257
