Linear approach to topic continuity—Givón Hierarchical approach to participant reference

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2.2.1 Linear approach to topic continuity—Givón

In his volume on topic continuity, Givón 1983 takes an in-depth look at the correlation between topic continuity and the encoding devices used. Within narrative texts, participants are highly topical units. Observing how they are encoded and how long a topic persists is one clear application of Givón’s theory as it relates to participant reference. He identifies four factors 1983:11 that determine the difficulty or ease a hearer has in identifying a topic or participant. These factors are: 1 length of absence from the register, 2 potential interference from other topics, 3 availability of semantic information, and 4 availability of thematic information. Through his and others’ cross- linguistic studies, Givón shows that there is an iconic relationship between the referential distance i.e. the number of clauses found between one evocation of a referent and the next and the amount of coding material and possible shifts in word order 1983:18. He presents a continuum which I have adapted and is shown in Figure 2 that correlates the type of coding with topic accessibility. more continuousaccessible topic zero anaphora unstressedbound pronouns or grammatical agreement stressedindependent pronouns right-dislocated DEF-NP’s neutral-ordered DEF-NP’s left-dislocated DEF-NP’s Y-moved NP’s ‘contrastive topicalization’ cleftfocus constructions referential indefinite NP’s more discontinuousinaccessible topic Figure 2: Givón’s continuum of topic accessibility 1983:17 12 This approach of Givón’s is a linear, quantitative approach to participant reference, which in certain contexts is helpful. However, it fails to explain participants that are either under- or over-coded. Also, it does not take into consideration the hierarchical structure of the text or the strategy of some discourses to code one participant as more salient throughout an entire text.

2.2.2 Hierarchical approach to participant reference

According to Chafe 1987:42, paragraph junctures represent a cognitive shift, which is often manifested by “a significant change in scene, time, character configuration, even structure, and the like.” Fox, with her studies on discourse and anaphora, shows that heavier coding on a referent correlates with certain structural boundaries in a text 1987a, 1987b. Tomlin 1987 echoes these findings by stating, “the syntax of reference is directly a function of episodic or thematic boundaries at a relatively local level” 1987:455. Hinds 1973 and Hinds and Hinds 1979 studied Japanese and found that paragraph boundaries constrained how participants were referenced. Recognizing that these boundaries exist and influence participant reference forms provides another dimension for analyzing the participant reference system.

2.2.3 Cognitive approach to participant reference