The form and function of bridging constructions in Eibela discourse

Abstract

Discourse in Eibela utilizes extensive repetition and summarization of events as a means of bridging discourse episodes. These bridging constructions consist of a main reference clause at the end of a unit of discourse, which is immediately referenced by a non-main bridging clause at the commencement of the following unit of discourse. Bridging clauses may be formed by medial clauses initiating a clause chain, and topic clauses that are embedded within another medial or final clause. Differing units of discourse are often accompanied by differing forms of bridging construction, with clause chain boundaries featuring verbatim repetition of clauses, and larger paragraphs being bound by bridging clauses utilizing anaphoric predicates. Bridging constructions have been previously shown to serve various functions in Papuan languages, including thematic continuity, reference tracking, and event sequencing, which will also be illustrated in the current discussion of bridging constructions in Eibela