Article
Towards an Operational Definition of Discourse Contrast
Studies in Language
(1996)
Abstract
Linguists have often invoked the concept of contrast in attempting to explain the use of certain constructions without explicitly defining this term. The present paper proposes an operational definition of contrast which can be applied to naturally occurring data so as to provide a more precise account of the relationship between form and function. The specific problem addressed is word order in Biblical Hebrew and Chinese. It is shown that contrast is one factor affecting deviations from canonical word order in these languages, but that the effect of contrast differs in a number of respects in the two languages, and many deviations from canonical word order cannot be accounted for by reference to contrast.
Disciplines
Publication Date
1996
DOI
10.1075/sl.20.2.04myh
Publisher Statement
Published by John Benjamins
Sponsored by Foundations of Language
Citation Information
Janet Zhiqun Xing and John Myhill. "Towards an Operational Definition of Discourse Contrast" Studies in Language Vol. 20 Iss. 2 (1996) p. 303 - 360 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/janet-xing/39/