Disentangling Subject and Anacoluthon NPs in Topic: A Cognitive Grammar and Gestalt Psychology based approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12957/soletras.2021.54532Parole chiave:
NP. Subject. Anacoluthon. Topic. Gestalt.Abstract
In this paper we analyze NPs in Topic which can be either the subject of the verb in Comment, or autonomous items usually called anacolutha. It explores how these different NPs are mapped according to spontaneous speech data. Departing from Langacker's proposal (2001), in which the Topic and the subject act as trajectors of different scopes, it is argued that such a concept is adequate to the empirical data, since it allows the possibility of co-occurrence and intertwining of both categories in speech. In addition, we also investigated the difference in the cognitive processing of subject and anacoluthon NPs in Topic building upon the concepts of baseline and elaboration (LANGACKER, 2016). As the concepts of subject and Topic in the approach of Cognitive Grammar derive, in part, from the Gestalt psychology notions of Figure and Ground, the anacoluthon in Topic can be referred to as the Figure and the illocutionary force of the Comment would be the Ground. The only difference in relation to the visual elements is that, since they displaces through the space axis, the Figure and the Ground can be inverted depending on where the focus of attention is turned. However, as the speech is unfolded along the time axis, reversion is not possible, in such a way that an Anacoluthon in Topic will always be the Figure and the Comment will always be the Ground.
Downloads
Pubblicato
Fascicolo
Sezione
Licenza
L'approvazione degli articoli implica l'assegnazione immediata e gratuita dei diritti di pubblicazione su questo periodico. Gli autori autorizzano il Programma post-laurea in Lettere e Linguistica (PPLIN) di riprodurlo e pubblicarlo sulla rivista SOLETRAS, sotto i termini "riproduzione" e "pubblicazione" come definizione dell'articolo 5 della legge 9610/98. Gli autori continueranno ad avere il copyright per le pubblicazioni successive. È possibile accedere all'articolo sul World Wide Web(http://www.e-publicacoes.uerj.br/index.php/soletras), essere autorizzato, gratuitamente, a consultare e riprodurre una copia dell'articolo per uso proprio di coloro che lo consultano. I casi di plagio o qualsiasi illegalità nei testi presentati sono di esclusiva responsabilità degli autori.