Download or read book Focus Particles and Their Effects in the Japanese Language written by Sachie Kotani and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis investigates Japanese focus particles and their effects in various components of theoretical linguistics. I discuss three topics linked to focus particles: (i) focus association with focus particles and subsequent ambiguity, (ii) focus particles and the realization of Japanese dummy verbs, and (iii) two Japanese exhaustive focus particles, dake and bakari . The first two are discussed within the framework of Distributed Morphology, and the other is considered within generative semantics. Focus association with a focus particle induces the ambiguity problem because of the surface order. I argue that the surface order is derived by means of movement in the syntax and morphology, which is induced by properties of predicative heads and a focus particle. Consequently, a focus particle appears in a position different from the position it adjoins to in the syntax and semantics. The structure in the syntax and semantics naturally explains the ambiguity in focus association on the basis of the primitive concept 'c-command.' A certain type of focus particle suffixed to a verb stem induces the realization of a dummy verb, suru 'do, ' in Japanese. I propose that Partial Head Movement applies to v, leaving the root behind, which makes the focus particle intervene between [radical] and v . I argue that the focus particle intervening between the [radical] and v -T is suffixed to [radical], splitting a verb into two different vocabulary items in morphology. [radical] is realized as a verb stem. Suru is a realization of v followed by the tense morpheme. Japanese has more than one exhaustive focus particle meaning only. I discuss the behaviors of dake and bakari . Adopting the exhaustive operator and the iterative operator, I argue that dake is composed of the exhaustive operator, whereas bakari is composed of both the exhaustive and iterative operators. The proposed analysis makes a correct prediction regarding not only predicates but also scope ambiguities with modals.