Séminaire de Recherche en Linguistique

We present a novel mechanism for deriving focus alternatives (similar to those in Rooth's seminal work), based on two simple, non-stochastic relational rules. After demonstrating the workings of the system using English, we will go on to explore how to model focus in a number of West African languages, in which focus is marked by position and morphological markers. Finally, we will present some speculations on what may be common across these systems, and how to capture the differences between the languages with as few stipulations as possible.