none 10.1075/slcs.121.16fra John Benjamins Publishing Company John Benjamins Publishing Company 1757 67858485 1421240 1421186 202507031639000014 10.1075 2025-07-03T10:38:06Z 2014-03-23T18:39:34Z 4 0165-7763 10.1075/slcs https://benjamins.com/ catalog/slcs Isabelle Bril CNRS-LACITO https://ror.org/02feahw73 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4582-9755 Syntax and pragmatics This collective volume explores clause-linkage strategies in a cross-linguistic perspective with greater emphasis on subordination. Part I presents some theoretical reassessment of syntactic terminologies and distinctive criteria for subordination, as well as typological methods based on sets of variables and statistics allowing cross-linguistic comparability. Part II deals with strategies relating to clause-chaining, conjunctive conjugations, converbial constructions, masdars. Part III centers on the interaction between the syntax, pragmatics, and semantics of clause-linking and subordination, in relation to informa­tional structure, to referential hierarchy, and correlative constructions. Part IV presents insights in the clause-linking and subordinating functions of some T.A.M. markers, verbal inflectional morphology and conjugation systems, which may also interact with informa­tional hierarchy, via the backgrounding effects and lack of illocutionary force of some aspect and mood forms. The volume is of particular interest to linguists and typologists working on clause-linkage systems and on the interface between syntax, pragmatics, and semantics. 121 11 25 2010 11 17 2010 9789027205889 9789027287588 John Benjamins Publishing Company Amsterdam 10.1075/slcs.121 http://www.jbe-platform.com/content/books/9789027287588 https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.121/html https://www.jbe-platform.com/deliver/fulltext/9789027287588.pdf Alexandre François Langues et Civilisations à Tradition Orale, Fédération Typologie et Universaux Linguistiques, CNRS https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1947-0806 On two atypical subordinating strategies in Lo-Toga and Hiw (Torres, Vanuatu) Despite the wealth of subordinators in Hiw and Lo-Toga (Oceanic, north Vanuatu), two of their Tense-Aspect-Mood categories – the Subjunctive and the Background Perfect – can do without them, and encode clause dependency by themselves. A pragmatic hypothesis is proposed to account for this clause-linking faculty. The Subjunctive differs from other irrealis categories insofar as it lacks any specific illocutionary force; the Background Perfect labels its predicate as informationally back grounded. In both cases, the clause lacks certain key properties (illocutionary force; informational weight) which are normally required in pragmatically well-formed utterances. This pragmatic demotion makes the clause dependent on external predications, which naturally results in syntactic subordination. This case study illustrates how syntax can be reshaped by the pragmatic parameters of discourse. 11 25 2010 11 17 2010 499 548 10.1075/slcs.121.16fra https://benjamins.com/catalog/slcs.121.16fra https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1075/slcs.121.16fra/html