Difference between revisions of "Extraction or Focus"
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| − | The "preverb" '''kaa''' may mark verbal focus on the verb immediately following. More research is needed on this point |
+ | The "preverb" '''kaa''' may mark verbal focus on the verb immediately following. More research is needed on this point. |
Revision as of 17:24, 14 December 2012
One frequent change in normal Sereer word order is the fronting of a constituent that signals focus on the fronted constituent. Examples are below, and will be elaborated upon eventually. Note that a suffix -u co-occurs with this fronting in nearly all cases; this could be analyzed as an extraction marker. (Exponence of non-past tense in the second example is not clear.)
| a buga [o gar]. |
| a= | bug | -a | o= | gar |
| 3SG | want | NPT | 2SG | come |
He wants you to come. (151)
| [o gar] a bugu. |
| o= | gar | a= | bug | -u |
| 2SG | come | 3SG | want | EXTR.ARG |
He wants you to come. (151)
Reduplication of predicates cannot occur when subject extraction is marked: qaarit ke a laaɓiira (laaɓiir) 'the friends are generous' but qaarit qum laaɓiiru (*laaɓiir)?, 'which friends are generous?' (115)
kaa
The "preverb" kaa may mark verbal focus on the verb immediately following. More research is needed on this point.
