Left-Dislocation in Latin: Topics and Syntax in Republican Texts

Review "(...) it would be a shame if the specialized nature of the study were to limit its readers to advanced philologists and linguists. The writing is clear and generally precise; the nuances separating related technical terms from different areas of specialization are consistently addressed. (...) Thus, this is a book that makes a valuable contribution to the study of early Latin, the relationship between speech and text, and the connections among genres and contexts in Latin's first century as a literary language. (...) Scholars already familiar with those debates will find much here with which to engage, while Latinists at all levels can appreciate the window into syntax as a cultural, as much as a linguistic, phenomenon." Jessica H. Clark, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2019.09.33. Product Description In the construction known as left-dislocation, an element appears in a fronted position, before the clause to which it belongs, usually introducing the topic of the sentence. Based on a detailed analysis of syntax, information structure and pragmatic organization, this study explores how left-dislocation is used in republican Latin comedy, prose and inscriptions as a device to introduce topics or other pragmatically prominent elements. Taking into consideration especially relative clause syntax and constraints of each text type, Hilla Halla-aho shows that, in the context of early Latin syntax and the evolving standards of the written language, left-dislocation performs similar functions in dramatic dialogue, legal inscriptions and archaic prose. About the Author Hilla Halla-aho, Ph.D. (2008), University of Helsinki, has published studies on Latin syntax, pragmatics and documentary material. Her earlier publications include the monograph The Non-Literary Latin Letters. A Study of Their Syntax and Pragmatics (2009).