List of Tables/FiguresAbbreviationsPrefaceChapter 1 Introduction1.1 The Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy1.2 The Cleftability Hierarchy1.3 Theory and Methodology1.3.1 AH as a universal tendency1.3.2 A working definition of clefts1.3.2.1 Previous definitions1.3.2.2 Clefts in non-configurational languages1.3.2.3 A working definition1.3.3 Clefting strategies1.3.4 Other methodological considerations1.3.4.1 Reduced Clefiability Hierarchy through collapsing1.3.4.2 Measurement of grammaticality and universality1.3.4.3 Data and analysisChapter 2 NP Cleftabifity2.1 The Cleftability Criteria2.2 Grammaticality: Cleftable Versus Uncleftable2.2.1 Clefting of subject only2.2.1.1 Chadic languages2.2.1.1.1 Margi2.2.1.1.2 Bade. Ngizim. Karekare. and Dera2.2.1.2 Toba-Batak2.2.1.3 Indonesian2.2.1.4 Malagasy2.2.2 Clefting of NP arguments2.2.2.1 Basque2.2.2.2 Berber2.3 Clefting Strategies: Deletion Versus Retention2.3.1 Polynesian languages2.3.1.1 Maori2.3.1.2 Tongan2.3.1.3 Samoan2.3.1.4 Rennellese2.3.2 Summary2.4 Structural Complexity : Wider Versus Narrower Distribution2.4.1 Maori2.4.2 English2.4.3 Danish2.4.4 Kinyarwanda2.4.5 Tera2.4.5.1 The cleft construction2.4.5.2 Clefiability2.4.5.3 Distributions of SU and ADVL as cleft focus2.5 Frequency of Occurrence : More Frequent Versus Less Frequent2.5.1 Intralinguistic frequency2.5.2 Crosslinguistic frequency2.6 Promotion to Higher Positions for Clefting2.6.1 Subjectivization in Indonesian2.6.2 Objectivization in Kinyarwanda2.7 Diaehronie Precedence : IndonesianChapter 3 NP Cleftability——Counterevidenee?3.1 Cleftability and Ergativity3.1.1 Mayan languages3.1.2 Pukapukan3.1.3 Subject reinterpreted3.2 Cleftability and Language Specific Constraints: Chinese3.2.1 The problem of DO uncleftability3.2.2 A linear constraint3.2.3 Is shi an adverb?3.2.4 0uasi-verbs and the constraint revisited3.2.5 Summary3.3 ConclusionChapter 4 Non-NP Cleftability4.1 Introduction4.2 AP Cleftability4.2.1 The Nouniness Principle4.2.2 Cleftability of predicational APs.the Specificity Condition4.2.3 Contextually generated specificity.English4.2.4 Summary4.3 VP Cleftability4.3.1 Limitations and conditions4.3.2 Crosslinguistic evidence4.3.2.1 Morpho-syntactic nominalhy of clefted VPs : English. Berber. Breton. and Hausa4.3.2.2 The retention strategy for VP clefting : Vata . Yoruba. and Haitian4.3.3 The Specificity Condition revisited: English4.3.4 Summary4.4 PP Clefting4.4.1 Proposition-internal and proposition-external PPs4.4.2 PP clefting and the Nouniness Principle4.5 ADVP clefting4.6 Summary and ConclusionChapter 5 Towards a General Account of Cleftability5.1 Theme and Thematicity5.1.1 Theme5.1.2 Thematicity5.2 The Function of Clefts5.2.1 Focused thematization5.2.2 Clause binding and salient information5.3 The Thematicity Principle (TP)5.4 Further Empirical Evidence5.5 SummaryChapter 6 The Contrastive Focus Marker6.1 Introduction6.2 Formal Identity between the CFM. the Copula and the Demonstrative6.3 Polesemy in Mandarin Chinese6.3.1 Synchronic evidence6.3.2 Diachronic evidence6.4 The Common Pragmatic Function6.5 Crosslinguistic Evidence6.5.1 Hebrew6.5.2 Margi6.5.3 Mokilese6.5.4 Kusaiean6.5.5 Malayalam6.6 An Iconic Account6.7 ConclusionChapter 7 ConclusionReferencesLanguage IndexSubject Index