Informational and referential hierarchy: Clause-linking strategies in Austronesian-Oceanic languages

Isabelle Bril (1, 2)

1 LACITO - Langues et civilisations à tradition orale
2 TUL FR 2559 - Federation Typologie et universaux des langues

This is an analysis of clause-linking strategies in mostly Austronesian languages, with particular focus on the functions of informational and referential hierarchy strategies in the architecture of complex clauses. Informational (topic, focus) hierarchy and its markers, structure clauses as subordinate via the contrast between presupposition vs. assertion. Referential hierarchy and its markers (endophoric demonstratives and definite markers), are another subordinating strategy based on the contrast between already referential/backgrounded clause vs. asserted main clause. Paths of evolution leading from coordinators or from endophoric demonstratives to informational hierarchy markers and to subordinating conjunctions or constructions are more specifically discussed. Informational hierarchy and referential hierarchy strategies are argued to be inherent to the syntactic architecture of the complex clause.

Mots clés: Informational hierarchy; referential hierarchy; deixis; subordination; presupposition; assertion; focus; topic structure; illocutionary force; modal dependency; absolute constructions; case-marking strategies

Domaines: Linguistique; Linguistique

Isabelle Bril. Informational and referential hierarchy: Clause-linking strategies in Austronesian-Oceanic languages. Bril Isabelle. Clause Linking and Clause Hierarchy: Syntax and pragmatics, Benjamins, pp.269-311, 2010, Studies in Language Companion Series (SLCS) vol. 121. ⟨hal-00591573⟩