Topic (linguistics)

The Topik ([ tɔpɪk ] of Engl. Topic ) is in the linguistics that unit within a spoken utterance, something is said about the utterance or by acting, d. H. the topic. The term of the issue was approved by the Prague school as part of the outline theme Rhema- shaped, while Topik in the current theory of language is more common terminus.

The topic represents one of the two primary states that are important in the information structure of linguistic utterances. The counterpart to this is the focus . Both are objects of investigation in discourse pragmatics .

The term topic ( that which something is said about ) is also used in the English. Contrasted with the term comment , which means something like what is said about it . Translated into German one speaks of comment and, for example, u. a. by topic-comment structure .

Examples

German: " The woman sings a song." (with normal intonation !)
Japanese: " Onna ha uta o utatte imasu." ( onna = "woman")

In Japanese the topic is characterized by the postposition ( particle ) ha (spoken wa ), in German it is the intonation, the diatheses active and passive and the word sequence ( topicalization ) that are used to express the topic.

In order to clearly identify a topic, you can also use the phrase "what ... concerns / is concerned / is, (see above) ..." in German:

"As for the woman: she sings a song."

literature

Hadumod Bußmann : Lexicon of Linguistics (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 452). 2nd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-520-45202-2 .
Simon C. Dik : The theory of Functional Grammar. Part 1: The structure of the clause. 2nd edition Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1997, ISBN 3-11-015539-7 , pp. 309–338.
Jeanette K. Gundel & Thorstein Fretheim: Topic and Focus. In: Laurence R. Horn & Gregory Ward (Eds.): The Handbook of Pragmatics. Blackwell, Malden (MA) / Oxford 2006, ISBN 063122548X , Chapter 8, pp. 175-196.
Thomas Kotschi: Information Structure in Spoken Discourse. In: Edward Keith Brown (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics. Volume 5. 2nd edition. Elsevier, Amsterdam / Heidelberg 2006, pp. 677–683.
Robert D. Van Valin, Jr .: A synopsis of Role and Reference Grammar. In: Robert D. Van Valin, Jr .: Advances in Role and Reference Grammar . Benjamin, Amsterdam / Philadelphia 1993, pp. 23-25 (especially on this topic).

Footnotes

↑ The topic (with a long [ o: ]) is the "science, doctrine of the topoi ". The Topik (short [⁠ ɔ ⁠] , see pronunciation information in the article) is a linguistic unit as defined herein. Christa Dürscheid also uses “the topic” : syntax. Basics and theories. 5th edition. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2010 (UTB, 3319), ISBN 978-3-8385-3319-3 , p. 239 (glossary)
↑ Christa Dürscheid: Syntax. Basics and theories. 5th edition. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2010 (UTB, 3319), ISBN 978-3-8385-3319-3 , p. 239 (glossary)

[1] The topic (with a long [ o: ]) is the "science, doctrine of the topoi ". The Topik (short [⁠ ɔ ⁠] , see pronunciation information in the article) is a linguistic unit as defined herein. Christa Dürscheid also uses “the topic” : syntax. Basics and theories. 5th edition. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2010 (UTB, 3319), ISBN 978-3-8385-3319-3 , p. 239 (glossary)

[2] Christa Dürscheid: Syntax. Basics and theories. 5th edition. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2010 (UTB, 3319), ISBN 978-3-8385-3319-3 , p. 239 (glossary)