This thesis questions whether dangling topics, also often called ''Chinese-style'' topics really only occur in Chinese. This is done by investigating Chinese (from mainland China and Taiwan),...Show moreThis thesis questions whether dangling topics, also often called ''Chinese-style'' topics really only occur in Chinese. This is done by investigating Chinese (from mainland China and Taiwan), Japanese, Turkish and Dutch. The results show that dangling topics in Chinese are only possible to a certain extent. Moreover, they are also acceptable in other languages (although mostly in marginal contexts).Show less
Kiembu, a Bantu language of central Kenya, has two morphemes nĩ and kwa which are used to mark different types of focus. In this thesis, I investigate the functions of these two focus markers,...Show moreKiembu, a Bantu language of central Kenya, has two morphemes nĩ and kwa which are used to mark different types of focus. In this thesis, I investigate the functions of these two focus markers, especially concentrating on the ways they are used to mark predicate-centered focus. I give a description of the different functions of the two morphemes based on data from my own field research, and I also propose a syntactic analysis of focus in Kiembu and briefly discuss how the focus marker kwa may have developed from an earlier focus construction.Show less
A comparative study attempting to explain the occurrence of non-V2 in Dutch comparative correlatives ("Hoe A-er, hoe B-er"). The presented theories (from previous studies) described in the thesis...Show moreA comparative study attempting to explain the occurrence of non-V2 in Dutch comparative correlatives ("Hoe A-er, hoe B-er"). The presented theories (from previous studies) described in the thesis are based on non-V2 phenomena in Dutch and Northern Norwegian. The research question ("Can theories about non-V2 in the Tromsø Norwegian wh-questions be applied to the Dutch non-V2 comparative correlative constructions with wh-elements?") is answered by using analyses in comparative syntax, phonology, information structure and psycholinguistics.Show less
