Page 548 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

constituent is placed clause medially. The subject is focused in (15c) and (15e) whereas
the object is focused in (15d). The verb is similarly focused in (15b) and (15f).

Let us examine the implicational predictions given in (14a) in the clauses presented in (16a-b).
(16) a. बाबुजी अइनी ... । (SV)

bɑbuji ʌini
bɑbu-ji ɑ-ini

father-H come-PST.H
'Father came ....' (09.505)

b. अइनी बाबुजी । (VS)

ʌini bɑbuji
ɑ-ini bɑbu-ji
come-PST.H father-H

'The one who came is father.' (09.505)
Certainly, the constituents in (16a) are in normal order but the subject is in

position of R-dislication in (16b). Hence clause (16b) codes the more continuous
topics than clause in normal order in (16a).

Likewise, let us examine the implicational predictions given in (14b) in the
clauses presented in (17a-b).

(17) a. पVवाहा पाङेला गाछ । (SVO)
pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋelɑ ɡɑcʰ

pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋ-elɑ ɡɑcʰ
shortener trim-3SG.PRES tree

'As for a trimmer, he certainly trims a tree.'
b. गाछ पVवाहा पाङेला । (OSV)

ɡɑcʰ pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋelɑ
ɡɑcʰ pʌŋwɑɦɑ pɑŋ-elɑ

tree shortener trim-3SG.PRES
'As for tree, he is a trimmer, who trims it.'

By examining the implicational prediction given in (14b) in the clauses
presented in SVO and OSV order in (16a-b) respectively, it is clear that the VO order in

(17a) codes the more continuous topics than OV order in (17b).

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