Subject inversion in Kinyakyusa

Msovela, S.; Wal, G.J. van der; Lusekelo, A.

doi:doi:10.2143/AL.29.0.3292607

Msovela, S.; Wal, G.J. van der; Lusekelo, A. (2023)

Subject inversion in Kinyakyusa

This paper describes the main formal and interpretational properties of Kinyakyusa subject inversion. Kinyakyusa features only one type of inversion, Agreeing Inversion, whereby the subject marker agrees with the postverbal subject. Predicates of all valencies are allowed, but with a transitive predicate, only the subject can appear as a postverbal NP, and the object must be either dislocated or pronominalised. The postverbal subject (as opposed to the preverbal subject) seems to require a contrastive interpretation, either contrasting with alternatives, or contrasting with expectations.

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