Focus Structures in Copala Triqui

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify the techniques used by speakers of Copala Triqui to focus one or more constituents in a sentence. Copala Triqui is a native Mexican language originating in the region that is now San Juan Copala, Mexico. In this experiment, we tested for five types of focus: broad focus, subject focus, object focus, contrastive subject focus, and contrastive object focus. We captured these patterns by having speakers answer Triqui questions that elicited the appropriate type of focus. We found that some focused sentences allow for deviations in word order from non-focused or broad-focused ones. Other focused sentences made use of the focus marker, ‘ma’an,’ and its reduced form, ‘man.’ In revealing the techniques used by Triqui speakers to focus constituents, this research allows us to gain a better understanding of the countless nuances of the Triqui language