Contrastive topics and foci in Brazilian Portuguese : ordering effects and interpretation

Abstract

This paper discusses the ordering effects of contrastive topics and foci in Brazilian Portuguese. I will show that the distribution of CT and F in BP strikingly parallels that observed for Dutch in Neeleman – Van de Koot (2008): 1) it is possible for a focus to precede a contrastive topic, as long as this configuration respects the canonical word order of the syntactic constituents, and 2) it is impossible for a focus to move across a contrastive topic. I propose to interpret sentences with a contrastive topic using the Topic Abstraction account (Constant 2014), in which a contrastive topic is simply an F-marked phrase in a specific configuration (more precisely, an F phrase that has raised to the CT-λ position). Building on the Topic Abstraction account, I propose a simple additional condition that captures Neeleman – Van de Koot's (2008) generalization for Dutch as well as the BP data: a focus interpretation of the moved F is blocked by the CT-λ, and that's why F>CT is impossible in configurations where one of the Fs has moved.

Keywords

• contrastive topic
• focus
• Brazilian Portuguese
• ordering effects
• interpretation