Emphatic-Case Assignment in Focus Constructions: Evidence from Owé

Abstract

This paper examines the status of the focused Noun Phrase in Owé. It aims at accounting for the different case features on the trace and the antecedent in Focus Constructions. The hypothesis formulated is that the Focus market, being the head of the Focus phras, functions as a case assigner. This paper concludes by proposing that the case assigned to the focused noun phrase is Emphatic case.