Sentence initial pre-verbal constituents in Arabic : a text-based approach
Word order is a textual means available to text producers to arrange their messages in order to convey different communicative functions, the choice of sentence initial position being one of the strategies commonly used to relay pragmatic or textual functions such as emphasis or topic continuity. In Arabic, the use of an initial pre-verbal constituent determines the difference between two types of sentences: the verbal sentence and the nominal sentence. Adopting the Prague School functional approach to grammar as a framework, this study argues that the position of the initial pre-verbal constituent is decided by textual and extra- textual factors. It examines the mechanism of this interaction and its consequences on word order. Arabic word order however, has generally been studied within the transformational-generative framework using sentence-based grammar; even the few cases of functional studies favour this same type of decontextualized data. Very little work of any real significance has been undertaken that attempts to relate sentence type to context and/or text type. In response to this, the data used in this study is text-based and taken from a variety of sources, and the sentences are analyzed in context.
Benmahdjoub, I.
PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania ; Memory, Text and Place
Sentence initial pre-verbal constituents in Arabic : a text-based approach. Word order is a textual means available to text producers to arrange their messages in order to convey different communicative functions, the choice of sentence initial position being one of the strategies commonly used to relay pragmatic or textual functions such as emphasis or topic continuity. In Arabic, the use of an initial pre-verbal constituent determines the difference between two types of sentences: the verbal sentence and the nominal sentence. Adopting the Prague School functional approach to grammar as a framework, this study argues that the position of the initial pre-verbal constituent is decided by textual and extra- textual factors. It examines the mechanism of this interaction and its consequences on word order. Arabic word order however, has generally been studied within the transformational-generative framework using sentence-based grammar; even the few cases of functional studies favour this same type of decontextualized data. Very little work of any real significance has been undertaken that attempts to relate sentence type to context and/or text type. In response to this, the data used in this study is text-based and taken from a variety of sources, and the sentences are analyzed in context.
sentence initial pre verbal constituent arabic_text based_approach word_order textual mean available text producer arrange message order convey different communicative_function choice sentence initial position strategies commonly_use relay pragmatic textual function emphasis topic continuity arabic use initial pre verbal constituent determines difference_two type sentence verbal sentence nominal sentence adopting prague school functional grammar framework study argues position initial pre verbal constituent decide textual extra textual factor examines mechanism interaction consequence word_order arabic_word order however generally study within transformational_generative framework use sentence based grammar even case functional study favour type data little_work real significance undertaken attempt relate sentence_type context and text_type response data_use study text_based take variety_source sentence analyze context