Object Marking In Lubukusu: Information Structure In The Verb Phrase

Abstract

Object marker (OM) doubling (i.e. clitic doubling) in Lubukusu has previously been argued to necessarily generate a verum (focus) reading of the clause. We argue for a new empirical generalization: OM-doubling is licit when there is focus in/on the verb phrase, and verum results when that is not otherwise possible (as an elsewhere case). We demonstrate these patterns with a large range of novel empirical data, providing a fuller picture of clitic doubling in Lubukusu