LINGUIST List 11.762

Mon Apr 3 2000

Disc: Focus

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

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1. Nobue Mori, Re: 11.706, Disc: Focus

Message 1: Re: 11.706, Disc: Focus

In LINGUIST Issue 11.706, Christopher Bader wrote:

>That is, I would guess that there is a language with an exchange like:

Q: Did anyone break the dish?
A: Broke.

with the reading "[Someone] broke [it]"

It may seem strange to call this focus, but in my mind existential
quantification always creates focus.
Does anyone know of a language where this reading of this construction
exists? (Obviously a null pronominal reading like "[He] broke [it]" is
different, as is "[It] broke".)
____________________________________

 Hi. Japanese might be one of the languages 
you are looking for: the interpretation for the 
sentences you cited is perfect.

Sincerely,


Nobue Mori
nbouewam.umd.edu