6.3.4 Identificational articulation argument focus
There were no examples of argument focus in the first seven sentences described in section, but argument focus does occur elsewhere in Text 5. In line 5.10b we are told that the man did not know
where the god lived, and so the crocodile offered to take him on the condition that the man asked the god what food the crocodile could eat the crocodile having become tired of a diet of water. In line
5.24b the location of the place where the god lived is revealed. In this line, it is presupposed that there is some place where the god lives, and so the focus is on the precise location, which is expressed using the
variant form of the class 16 locative distal demonstrative pharatu right there. This is placed at the start of the sentence left-dislocated, but to indicate that this is not a switch topic, it is followed by a
‘cleft construction’ consisting of a copula ndipho it is there plus a relative clause. This construction is sometimes called ‘focus-presupposition’ sentence articulation:
5.24b argument focus copula
presupposition relative clause Pharatu
ndipho pharipho na ye mlungu
Right there it is there
that is there with the god ‘Right there is where the god is’
Not all focus-presupposition sentences contain a relative clause, in Text 6, the fact that the forest has an owner is information that is already known; what is not yet established is who the owner is. In
line 6.11a the lion states: 6.11a argument focus
copula presupposition
Simba ndimi
mwenye Lion
it is me owner ‘I lion am the owner’
Argument focus can also be expressed by placing the focused element after the predicate, as in line 5.31a. Here, the crocodile’s food has already been established as a potential topic in sentence 5.29; what
is not known at this point is what the crocodile’s food will be. Formally, 5.31a could express either predicate focus or argument focus, but the context plus the use of the copula verb kala be indicate that
this is a case of argument focus:
5.31a switch topic copula
argument focus Chakuryache
chindakala uwe
His food it will be
you
‘You will be his food.’ 6.4
Summary
New entities can be introduced through presentational articulation involving one of the locative noun classes. When an entity is introduced using a verb with locative inversion it becomes immediately
available as a topic, whereas entities introduced through copula expressions such as phana there was do not immediately become topics.
Elsewhere, when there is a new topic a switch topic this is expressed as a noun phrase before the predicate. A noun phrase may also occur before the predicate at the start of a new paragraph, even if it is
not a switch topic. Continued topics are almost always subjects; and, unless occurring at the start of a new paragraph, are usually expressed through incorporated subject pronouns alone. When a continued
topic is expressed as a noun phrase and there is no new paragraph, this noun phrase is placed after the predicate right-dislocated.
Argument focus can be expressed in two ways. The argument which is in focus can be left dislocated and followed by a ‘cleft construction’ consisting of a copula plus a relative clause; this is known as ‘focus-
presupposition’ sentence articulation. Alternatively, if the argument is an object, it can occur after the predicate; formally there is no difference between argument focus expressed in this way and predicate
focus, but in predicate focus the action or event described by the predicate a verb is new information, whereas in argument focus only the identity of the object is new information.
7 Adverbial clauses and relative clauses
Kategori