The expression of information structure in Kîîtharaka

Abstract

Kîîtharaka employs a variety of linguistic strategies to structure information. The

preverbal domain is preferred for topicalised constituents while non-topical ones

tend to be post-verbal. Various pragmatically sanctioned interpretations such as polarity focus, depreciative, contrastive and intensive readings are expressed through topic marking and predicate topic doubling. Focus can be expressed using the basic cleft (exhaustive focus), the pseudocleft and two constructions that at first look like reverse pseudoclefts. The expression of the object is regulated by accessibility, humanness, predicate type, and salience. Finally, the presence or absence of nicorrelates with predicate-centred focus or focus on the postverbal constituent.