TY  - JOUR
A1  - Amaechi, Mary Chimaobi
A1  - Georgi, Doreen
T1  - On optional wh-/focus fronting in Igbo
BT  - a SYN-SEM-PHON interaction
JF  - Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft
N2  - This paper discusses surface optionality in focus fronting in the Benue-Congo language Igbo. A focused XP can occur in-situ or ex-situ. We argue that the optionality does not have its origins in the syntax: in fact, exactly one focused XP has to move to the designated focus position in the left periphery in the syntax. The alternation between in-situ and ex-situ rather arises at PF: either the lowest or the topmost copy of the focus chain is pronounced. The choice is determined by semantic-pragmatic factors, i. e., we see an interaction between PF and LF. This constitutes a challenge for a strict version of the Y-model of grammar.
KW  - (A)over-bar-movement
KW  - focus realization
KW  - PF-optionality
KW  - Y-model
KW  - copy
KW  - pronounciation
KW  - Benue-Congo languages
Y1  - 2020
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1515/zfs-2020-2017
SN  - 0721-9067
SN  - 1613-3706
VL  - 39
IS  - 3
SP  - 299
EP  - 327
PB  - De Gruyter
CY  - Berlin
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fominyam, Henry Z.
T1  - The Syntax of Focus and Interrogation in Awing
BT  - a Descriptive Approach
JF  - Interdisciplinary studies on information structure : ISIS ; working papers of the SFB 632
N2  - According to Aikhenvald (2007:5), descriptive linguistics or linguistic
fieldwork “ideally involves observing the language as it is used,
becoming a member of the community, and often being adopted into
the kinship system”. Descriptive linguistics therefore differs from
theoretical linguistics in that while the former seeks to describe natural
languages as they are used, the latter, other than describing, attempts
to give explanations on how or why language phenomena behave in
certain ways. Thus, I will abstract away from any preconceived ideas
on how sentences ought to be in Awing and take the linguist/reader
through focus and interrogative constructions to get a feeling of how
the Awing people interact verbally.
KW  - Awing
KW  - focus realization
KW  - question formation
KW  - descriptive grammar
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-83755
SN  - 1614-4708
SN  - 1866-4725
IS  - 19
SP  - 29
EP  - 62
PB  - Universitätsverlag Potsdam
CY  - Potsdam
ER  -