Topicalization serves some clear
stylistic needs in this language. In the texts, the formation of topic
chains from simple sentences involving nouns requires the identification of
the subject NP in one sentence with the subject NP in the next.but if a number of consecutive
sentences in a text sequence have a common NP with a common referent, it
entails the formation of a topic chain : each sentence being transformed
into a form in which the common NP is the subject NP. Topicalization is
limited to accusative NPs, locative NPs, and verbs.Given two simple sentences
(270)
gwįg1 tasysobiri2/
priest-Now sing-RecP-Cont
`the priest1
was singing2’
(271)
/h1
gwįg2 hwso3/
I-Nom priest-Acc see-RecP
`I1 saw3
the priest2’
in order to form a topic chain, it is necessary to
topicalize the second. Topicalization brings the referent of the accusative
NP to focus by moving it to the front of the sentence. When it is moved to
the front, it takes the nominative case inflexion and becomes the subject.
The agent NP takes the instrumental inflexion and may be optionally deleted.
(272)
/gwįgwč1 hną2
hwso3/
priest-Nom I-Inst [A] see-RecP
`I2 saw3
the priest1’
The transformational rule operating
on sentences (271) may be started as
X
[ NP
VP [NP
VC]VP ]
X
1
ų
2
3
4
5
®
1
3
2
ų
4
5
[-wč]
[-ną]
where X is a variable.
Given a sentence :
(273)
/kwįg1 wą2/
dog-Nom bark-Hab (3Sg)
`dog1 barks2’
when the verb is topicalized, its
cognate noun is moved to the front and becomes the subject.
wč1
m
yąą2. rśgaą3/
sobiri2/
1
gwįg2 hw
ą2/
