Information structure, (inter)subjectivity and objectification

Abstract

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0022226714000541How to cite this article: Jenneke van der Wal Information structure, (inter)subjectivity and objectication.This paper discusses how information structure can be seen as a subjective and intersubjective concept in Verhagen's (2005) and Breban's (2010) definitions, though less so in Traugott's (2010) use of the terms. More difficult is the question of whether MARKERS of information structure can be characterised as (inter)subjective; this is more easily determined for morphological markers than for prosody or word order. For unambiguous markers of information structure, I suggest that their emergence (e.g. copula > focus marker) is typically accompanied by (inter)subjectification, whereas their further development (e.g. topic marker > subject marker) displays objectification. The paper not only shows that grammatical items can undergo an increase as well as a decrease in (inter)subjectivitythus denying strict unidirectionality -but also confirms that these processes are independent of grammaticalisation.