Topic (linguistics)

Topic (linguistics)

In linguistics, the topic (or theme) is the part of the proposition that is being talked about (predicated). Once stated, the topic is therefore "old news", i.e. the things already mentioned and understood. For example, the topic is emphasized in "italics" in the following sentences:

*"The dog" bit the little girl.
*"The little girl" was bitten by the dog.
*"The little girl", the dog bit her.

The topic is also called "theme", and the predicate that gives information on the topic is also called "rheme".

A distinction must be made between the "sentence-level topic" and the "discourse-level topic". Suppose we are talking about Mike's house:

:"Mike's house was so comfortable and warm! He really didn't want to leave, but he couldn't afford the rent, you know. And it had such a nice garden in the back!"

In the example, the discourse-level topic is established in the first sentence: it is "Mike's house". In the following sentence, a new "local" topic is established on the sentence level: "he" (Mike). But the discourse-level topic is still Mike's house, which is why the last comment does not seem out of place.

Many languages, like English, resort to different means in order to signal a new topic, such as:

*Stating it explicitly as the subject (which tends to be considered more topic-like by the speakers).
*Using passive voice to transform an object into a subject (for the above reason).
*Through periphrastic constructions like "As for...", "Speaking of...", etc.
*Using left dislocation (called topic fronting or topicalization, i. e. moving the topic to the beginning of the sentence).

There are some other languages, like Japanese or Korean, that work directly on a topic-comment frame. A new topic is always introduced in a specific way, like with a topic marker (Japanese uses a suffix, ). The topic can be the subject or the object of a verb, but it can also be an indirect object or even an oblique complement of any kind. It is always dislocated to the front of the sentence.

Signaling the topic as such serves the pragmatic function of avoiding repetition. In many languages, old topics are replaced with a pronoun. Pro-drop languages like Japanese tend simply to delete the old topic, which is then left implicit throughout the discourse until a new one appears.

Bibliography

*Givón, Talmy. 1983a. Topic continuity in discourse: A quantitative cross-language study. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

*Lambrecht, Knud. 1994. Information structure and sentence form. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

*Li, Charles N./Sandra A. Thompson (1976): "Subject and Topic: A New Typology of Languages", in: Li, Charles N. (ed.) Subject and Topic, New York/San Francisco/London: Academic Press, 457-490.

ee also

*Topic marker
*Topic-comment
*Long-distance dependencies


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Topic-focus articulation — is a field of study in linguistics. It is concerned with the means of marking the old and new information in a clause. See also *Topic (linguistics) *Focus (linguistics) *Eva Haji #x10d;ov #xe1; *Petr Sgall *Barbara ParteeReferencesEva Haji… …   Wikipedia

  • Topic-comment — In linguistics, the topic (or theme) is informally what is being talked about, and the comment (rheme or focus) is what is being said about the topic. Although this general nature of topic comment dichotomy is generally accepted, anything beyond… …   Wikipedia

  • Topic marker — A topic marker is a grammatical particle found in the Japanese and Korean languages used to mark the topic of a sentence. This often overlaps with the subject of the sentence, causing confusion with learners, as most other languages lack it.… …   Wikipedia

  • Topic — can refer to: * An area of interest, also called a subject ** The focus of an article in a publication ** The focus of a discussion or debate; see On topic * Topic (or theme) in linguistics, the part of a proposition that is being talked about… …   Wikipedia

  • Linguistics — is the scientific study of language, encompassing a number of sub fields. An important topical division is between the study of language structure (grammar) and the study of meaning (semantics). Grammar encompasses morphology (the formation and… …   Wikipedia

  • linguistics — /ling gwis tiks/, n. (used with a sing. v.) the science of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and historical linguistics. [1850 55; see LINGUISTIC, ICS] * * * Study of the nature and structure of… …   Universalium

  • Topic outline of linguistics — For a more comprehensive list, see the List of linguistics topics. Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Someone who engages in this study is called a linguist. Linguistics can be theoretical or applied. The following outline is… …   Wikipedia

  • Topic outline of communication — Communication is the process of generation, transmission, or reception of messages to oneself or another entity, usually via a mutually understood set of signs. The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to communication …   Wikipedia

  • Linguistics Wars — Linguistic Wars is a colloquial term for a protracted academic dispute in American generative linguistics which took place mostly in the 1960s and 1970s.It was a falling out between Noam Chomsky and some of his early students, who, after studying …   Wikipedia

  • Topic outline of science — For a more comprehensive list, see the List of science topics. Science in the broadest sense refers to any system of objective knowledge. In a more restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific method …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”