11.762, Disc: Focus

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Tue Apr 4 02:46:53 UTC 2000


LINGUIST List:  Vol-11-762. Mon Apr 3 2000. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 11.762, Disc: Focus

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=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Mon, 3 Apr 2000 01:53:23 -0400 (EDT)
From:  Nobue Mori <nobue at wam.umd.edu>
Subject:  Re: 11.706, Disc: Focus

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 3 Apr 2000 01:53:23 -0400 (EDT)
From:  Nobue Mori <nobue at wam.umd.edu>
Subject:  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
nboue at wam.umd.edu

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