Internal and external topics

6.2.3 Internal and external topics

As well as subjects and objects, other elements may also function as topics. These may be integrated that is, ‘internal’ topics which are syntactically dependent on the host sentence as in example 112 below, or non-integrated that is, ‘external’ topics such as the examples which follow. In example 112, rhibuyi eryo ‘that rock’ is the object of a purpose clause, which in turn is the complement of a possessive clause, which is further embedded in an adverbial phrase. The embedded clauses have been indicted using square brackets, and the glossing has been simplified in this and subsequent examples. Jita Pyle and Robinson 2015:32 TOPIC COMMENT 112 Ribhuyi eryo [ejire arora [atari na [ja kwasisya Ø] ] ] neeganirisya muno. rock that when he.saw he.is.not with of to.break he.thought much ‘That rock, [when he saw [he has nothing [to break it ] ] ], he thought a lot.’ Non-integrated, external topics also called ‘topic frames’ or ‘themes’ 35 are illustrated in the examples below. With an external topic, the comment may consist of an embedded topic-comment construction in which the subject is ‘topic2’ and the predicate is ‘comment2’, as in the following example: Malila Eaton 2015b:10 TOPIC1 COMMENT1 TOPIC2 COMMENT2 113 Pe umuntu ʉla ɨng’ombe ziila zɨkhanyaama pakhaaya paala. then person that cows those they.gave.birth at.home there ‘Then as for that person, those cows gave birth there at home.’ The comment following an external topic may also consist of a topicless clause exhibiting sentence focus, as in the examples below. In practice it is difficult to distinguish between an embedded comment with sentence focus and an embedded comment with topic-comment articulation. Embedded topics are typically already established in the discourse and may be referred to using a demonstrative as in the example above whereas the subjects of comments with sentence focus are typically discourse new as in the examples below. The subject of the comment is often an entity which is grammatically possessed by the external topic and is thus linked to the discourse context, even though not already established in the discourse, as illustrated in the following two examples: Digo Nicolle 2015:29 TOPIC COMMENT 114 “Mino mkpwazangu karya sima.” me my.wife she.does.not.eat ugali ‘As for me, my wife does not eat ugali.’ 35 I use ‘theme’ here in the sense of Dik 1981:129-141: “A constituent with Theme function presents a domain or universe of discourse with respect to which it is relevant to pronounce the following predication.” Dik 1981:130 For Dik 1981:141-144, the topic is part of the predication. Makonde Leach 2015:49 TOPIC COMMENT 115 Ákalimanya aju nae, shimadengo shake shishiva kulumbata. Ákalimanya this he work his it.was.being to.hunt ‘As for this Ákalimanya, his work was to hunt.’ Free translation: SN

6.3 Predicate focus with continued and renewed topics