The information structure marking function of Kakari-musubi constructions in Japanese

Abstract

　Japanese is invariably a type of language which is keenly conscious of the configurations of information structure. When verbalizing a state of affairs in an utterance, the theme (or topic) is distinguished sharply from the rheme (or comment) by theme marker wa. In classical Japanese, Kakari-musubi (‘information linking’) constructions come into play to focalize a constituent for a rhetorical effect. Of the two types of focalization, the one involving the set of zo, namu, ya and ka is implemented through theme-rheme inversion, changing an original sentence-final particle into a kakari particle linked with a closing predicate in the prenominal form. The other relates to koso, which freely focalizes a specific constituent in normal order, closing the sentence with a predicate in the completive form that, in turn, is followed by a (typically adversative) coordinate clause. These kakari particles have so far been claimed unconvincingly to designate themes in some senses comparable to wa. In this paper, they instead are identified as the rheme (or focus) markers which may co-occur with multiple themes comprising the postposed subsidiary themes and the newly produced main themes. Secondly, this paper clarifies the distinctive relevance modalities of these particles in terms of utterance content, formation and attitude. Thirdly, it is observed that the subsequent loss of this intricate system presumably may have stemmed from the joint factors of abundant lexicalization, costliness and attainment of generalization over information building. To conclude, the kakari particles are now defined neatly and naturally as the information structure markers subcategorized as either thematic or rhematic.