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Afroasiatic: Data and perspectives
Edited by Mauro Tosco
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 339] 2018
► pp. 235–259

Unipartite clauses

A view from spoken Israeli Hebrew

Within an integrative approach to the structure of spoken language, taking into account prosody, information structure, and syntax, a new model of clause is suggested, viz., a unipartite clause, where the only necessary and sufficient component is the predicate, i.e., with no subject component required. By default, the predicate is viewed as the element carrying the informational load of the clause, the ‘new’ element in the discourse, and the focused component of the clause. The predicate carries the clause modality, where ‘modality’ is viewed in a broad perspective. A preliminary classification of unipartite clauses in Hebrew is also offered.

Keywords: syntax, clause structure, unipartite clause, predicate, context, spoken language, Israeli Hebrew
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Prosody, discourse and syntax
  • 3.What is a unipartite clause?
  • 4.Classification of unipartite clauses
    • 4.1Anchored
      • 4.1.1Intra-discursive anchoring
        • 4.1.1.1Proximate
          • 4.1.1.1.1Structural
          • 4.1.1.1.2Non-structural
        • 4.1.1.2Remote
          • 4.1.1.2.1Structural
          • 4.1.1.2.2Non-structural
        • 4.1.1.3Broad
      • 4.1.2Extra-discursive anchoring
        • 4.1.2.1Intra-origo
        • 4.1.2.2Extra-origo
      • 4.2Unanchored
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 1 February 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.339.13izr
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