Page 408 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

CHAPTER 12
MARKED TOPICS AND CONTRASTIVE FOCUS

12.0 Outline
This chapter deals with marked topics and contrastive focus in Bhojpuri. It
consists of three sections. Section 12.1 deals with marked topic constructions and

section 12.2 with contrastive focus constructions. In section 12.3, we summarize
findings of the chapter.

12.1 Marked topic constructions
"By 'marked' topic-coding constructions one means constructions that code

referents of relatively low accessibility. Their low accessibility may be due to being
new in the discourse, i.e., being introduced for the first time or being re-introduced

into the discourse after a considerable gap of absence, or due to referential
competition or contrast" (Givón, 2001b:254).
Thus it is an elaboration of the grammar of discontinuous topics that

apply primarily to full NPs contrasting with unstressed pronouns and zeros,
which code continuous referents. The marked topic-constructions in Bhojpuri are

discussed as follows:
12.1.1 Existential-presentative constructions

a) Functional dimensions
Existential-presentative constructions (hereafter EPCs), also known as

indefinite subject constructions, are typically used to introduce important new
1
referents into the discourse (Givón, 2001b:255).
In Bhojpuri, indefinite referents are coded by EPCs कौनो /kɔno/ 'some or a/an'

and एगो /eɡo/ 'a/an' used as an indefinite article, as shown in (1a-b).
(1) a. कौनो गाँव म" एगो बु'ढ़आ रहली ।

kɔno ɡɑ ̃ o mẽ eɡo buɽ ̊ iɑ rʌɦli
kɔno ɡɑ ̃ o mẽ ek-ɡo buɽ ̊ iɑ rʌɦ-ʌl-i

some village LOC one-CLF old woman live-PP-3SG.PST.F.MH
'There was an old woman in a village.' (05.001)

b. चवर म" ओकर खेत रहे ।

1. The rather weak subjecthood of the locative 'subject' of existential-presentative clauses is not
surprising, given that the prototypical subject of neutral clauses is overwhelmingly definite,
anaphoric, rcurrent and topical. The subject of existential-presentative clauses, on the other hand, is
an indefinite non-anaphoric referent that is being introduced into the discourse for the first time
(Givón, 2001a:193).
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