The Dynamics of Focus Structure

by Nomi Erteschik-Shir

Overview

All modes of perception (vision, hearing, etc.) are organized into foreground or focus and background constituents. Natural language sentences are no different. This book explores the role of focusing in natural language sentences and the role of this basic cognitive mechanism in explaining sentence stress, meaning and structure. The result is an innovative view of our linguistic competence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521024174
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/13/2006
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Linguistics , #84
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.71(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1. The interpretation of f-structure; 2. Reference and coreference; 3. Negation, questions and contrast; 4. The phonological interpretation of f-structure; 5. Scope and R-dependencies; 6. I-dependencies in focus-structure; Conclusion; References; Indexes.