The work explores how the pragmatic functions, topic and focus, influence the formal organization and content of two discoursal components: word order, and referential coherence, based on Ekegusii, a Bantu language spoken in Kenya. It uses an eclectic approach in describing the role of information structure in Ekegusii. Lambrecht's model of Information Structure and Bidirectional Optimality Theory are used to capture both production and comprehension aspects in discourse. It demonstrates that information structural constraints at the sentential level mainly influence the information state of...
The work explores how the pragmatic functions, topic and focus, influence the formal organization and content of two discoursal components: word order...