TY - JOUR
T1 - Empirical support for the principle of the separation of reference and role
AU - Kuzar, Ron
AU - Netz, Hadar
PY - 2010/5
Y1 - 2010/5
N2 - Research leading to the formulation of the principle of the separation of reference and role (PSRR) has not taken a straight path. Lambrecht's (1994) PSRR is in direct succession to work by Givón (1975), Chafe (1987), and Du Bois (1987). More specifically, only Du Bois and Lambrecht (contra Chafe) recognize the clause as the domain in which the separation of reference and role takes place. Now, according to Lambrecht, one of the constructions exhibiting the PSRR is the left dislocation (LD) construction, where a referent is first introduced in the dislocated component and is then pronominally re-mentioned in the sentence to make an assertion about it. From our own experimental research, we supply empirical evidence to the effect of the PSRR in LD sentences. We show that in LD, cognitive processing is facilitated, while in other marked-topic constructions, which do not display such a separation, cognitive processing is not facilitated or even inhibited.
AB - Research leading to the formulation of the principle of the separation of reference and role (PSRR) has not taken a straight path. Lambrecht's (1994) PSRR is in direct succession to work by Givón (1975), Chafe (1987), and Du Bois (1987). More specifically, only Du Bois and Lambrecht (contra Chafe) recognize the clause as the domain in which the separation of reference and role takes place. Now, according to Lambrecht, one of the constructions exhibiting the PSRR is the left dislocation (LD) construction, where a referent is first introduced in the dislocated component and is then pronominally re-mentioned in the sentence to make an assertion about it. From our own experimental research, we supply empirical evidence to the effect of the PSRR in LD sentences. We show that in LD, cognitive processing is facilitated, while in other marked-topic constructions, which do not display such a separation, cognitive processing is not facilitated or even inhibited.
KW - Cognitive processing
KW - Information structure
KW - Left dislocation
KW - Markedness
KW - PSRR
KW - Topic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77949485747&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pragma.2009.08.003
DO - 10.1016/j.pragma.2009.08.003
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AN - SCOPUS:77949485747
SN - 0378-2166
VL - 42
SP - 1460
EP - 1468
JO - Journal of Pragmatics
JF - Journal of Pragmatics
IS - 5
ER -