The conjoint/disjoint alternation

Abstract

The conjoint/disjoint alternation is a phenomenon in Eastern and Southern Bantu languages whereby two verb forms exist with the same tense/aspect semantics, but a difference in the relation between the verb and a following element. The forms are distinguished by their morphological and phonological marking, and their clause-final distribution: the conjoint form needs to be followed by a postverbal element. The interpretational difference between the forms lies in the associated information structure: postverbal focus takes a conjoint verb form, whereas predicate-centred focus requires the disjoint verb form, although in some languages this interpretation is only indirectly encoded in the constituency. The alternation provides an insight into the interfaces of information structure with syntax, morphology, and prosody.