Laury-Helasvuo2015
| Laury-Helasvuo2015 | |
|---|---|
| BibType | INCOLLECTION |
| Key | Laury-Helasvuo2015 |
| Author(s) | Ritva Laury, Maria-Liisa Helasvuo |
| Title | Detached NPs with relative clauses in Finnish conversations |
| Editor(s) | M. M. Jocelyne Fernandez-Vest, Robert D. Van Valin |
| Tag(s) | EMCA, Interactional Linguistics, Finnish, Grammar, Relative clauses, Reference |
| Publisher | De Gruyter Mouton |
| Year | 2015 |
| Language | English |
| City | Berlin |
| Month | |
| Journal | |
| Volume | |
| Number | |
| Pages | 149–165 |
| URL | Link |
| DOI | 10.1515/9783110368758-008 |
| ISBN | |
| Organization | |
| Institution | |
| School | |
| Type | |
| Edition | |
| Series | Trends in Linguistics |
| Howpublished | |
| Book title | Information Structuring of Spoken Language from a Cross-linguistic Perspective |
| Chapter | |
Abstract
The article discusses detached NPs with relative clauses in Finnish conversation. The NPs discussed here include both so-called left and right dislocations and other types of detachments (Neveu 2010). We show that functioning as heads of relative clauses is an important use of detached NPs and that relativizing on detached NPs is a robust relativization pattern in Finnish.
It has been suggested that right and left dislocations function to organize new information in discourse. While Finnish detachments clearly serve functions that are relevant for information structure, they do not serve as escape valves for new information or function in topicalization of referents. Instead, they are responsive to local contingencies and serve in formulation and negotiation of reference in a variety of ways.
The article shows that the direction of continuation of reference is highly relevant for the form and function of the DNP+RCs and the way they are treated in the interaction. Those DNP+RCs which project forward in terms of continuation of reference have heads which are definite and specific, and relative clauses which are restrictive. On the other hand, the backward linking ones may also have heads which are generic or nonspecific, and relative clauses which are non-restrictive. The forward projecting ones are embedded in longer turns and are not responded to by other participants, while the backward linking ones, and the ones with no clear relationship to any clause preceding or following, are embedded in sequences with frequent turn transition and are responded to by coparticipants.
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