Focus, Mongolian, Heleer, information structure, prosody, Altaic languages 1. Introduction Information focus — the linguistic means by which a speaker highlights new or contrastive information — varies significantly across languages. In Mongolian, a head-final, agglutinative language of the Mongolic family, focus interacts intricately with syntax, morphology, and intonation. The standard Khalkha dialect uses a combination of preverbal positioning, focus particles, and pitch accent. However, the Heleer register (often described as “colloquial,” “fast speech,” or “rural” Mongolian) shows systematic divergences.
Karlsson, A. (2014). Intonation in Khalkha Mongolian. Journal of the International Phonetic Association , 44(1), 45–67. Focus Mongol Heleer
Brosig, B. (2013). Focus in Khalkha Mongolian. Studies in Language , 37(3), 479–522. The standard Khalkha dialect uses a combination of
Janhunen, J. (2012). Mongolian . John Benjamins. (2014)
: Bi nom unsh-sun [nom focused, -iig dropped] I book read-PAST ‘I read a BOOK’ (not a magazine)
Kiss, K. É. (1995). Discourse configurational languages. Oxford University Press.