Focus in Hausa

Providing an up to date and meticulous account of the morphosyntax, semantics and pragmatics of focus and copular constructions in Hausa, this volume represents the first detailed and comprehensive exposition of focus related constructions in Hausa from the perspective of a major contemporary theoretical framework. Containing comparative data from related Chadic/Afroasiatic languages, this study introduces readers to aspects of the syntax of a major world language unfamiliar to most linguists. In addition to a descriptive overview of the language and a detailed description of information structure in Hausa, this book provides a theoretically oriented syntactic analysis of these constructions from a current generative perspective.

Broadly accessible for the linguistics community, the material in this book is relevant not only to researchers interested in the typology of focus constructions and non–verbal clauses, but also to those interested in generative syntax.

Preface.

Acknowledgements.

List of tables.

Abbreviations, symbols and transcription.

1 Introduction.

1.1 Aims and overview.

1.2 The data.

2 The Hausa language.

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 Hausa linguistics.

2.3 Main linguistic features.

2.3.1 Phonology.

2.3.2 Word order and the verbal–inflectional complex.

2.3.3 Non–verbal clauses.

2.3.4 The noun phrase.

2.3.5 Null subjects and objects.

2.3.6 Modal/adverbial particles.

2.4 Wh–type constructions.

2.4.1 Relative clauses.

2.4.2 Wh–questions.

2.4.3 Focus constructions.

3 Focus in generative grammar.

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 The generative framework.

3.2.1 Philosophical assumptions.

3.2.2 The transformational model.

3.2.3 X–bar syntax.

3.2.4 The Minimalist Program: Merge, Move and Agree.

3.3 What is focus?.

3.3.1 Semantics and pragmatics.

3.3.2 Structural features and typology.

3.4 Generative theories of focus.

3.4.1 Syntax–based theories.

3.4.2 Prosody–based theories.

3.4.3 Model of focus assumed in the present study.

4 Focus constructions.

4.1 Introduction.

4.2 Focus fronting: descriptive facts.

4.2.1 Focus fronting.

4.2.2 Focus versus topic.

4.2.3 Focus fronting versus clefting.

4.3 Focus fronting: the FP analysis.

4.3.1 Proposal.

4.3.2 Empirical evidence.

4.3.3 Theoretical issues.

4.4 Wh–fronting.

4.5 Special inflection.

4.5.1 Special inflection in Hausa: descriptive facts.

4.5.2 Special inflection in Hausa: theoretical issues.

4.6 Focus/wh–in situ.

4.6.1 Wh–in situ: descriptive facts.

4.6.2 Focus in situ: descriptive facts.

4.6.3 Exploring a form function correlation.

4.6.4 Multiple focus/wh–constructions.

4.6.5 Extending the FP analysis.

4.7 Conclusions.

5 Copular constructions.

5.1 Introduction.

5.2 Non–verbal copular sentences: the data.

5.2.1 Morphosyntactic features.

5.2.2 Specification and predication: descriptive terminology.

5.2.3 Predicational copular sentences in Hausa.

5.2.4 Specificational/equative copular sentences in Hausa.

5.3 The evolution of né/cé.

5.4 Extending the FP analysis.

5.4.1 Proposal.

5.4.2 Empirical evidence.

5.4.3 Theoretical issues.

5.4.4 Summary.

5.5 Conclusions.

6 A cross–linguistic perspective.

6.1 Introduction.

6.2 Focus constructions.

6.2.1 Chadic.

6.2.2 Arabic.

6.2.3 Hebrew.

6.2.4 Coptic Egyptian.

6.2.5 Summary.

6.3 Copular/non–verbal clauses.

6.3.1 Typology of copular sentences.

6.3.2 Chadic.

6.3.3 Arabic.

6.3.4 Hebrew.

6.3.5 Coptic Egyptian.

6.3.6 Summary.

6.4. Conclusions.

7 Summary and conclusions.

References.

Indexes

Melanie Green is Lecturer in Linguistics and English Language at the University of Sussex. She studied both Hausa and linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and specialises in syntactic theory and the syntax of Hausa and related Chadic and Afroasiatic languages. Her current research interests include typological and comparative work, particularly in relation to the syntax of focus and related constructions. She is co–author of Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction (2006) with her colleague Vyvyan Evans.