Towards a Typology of Locative Inversion – Bantu, Perhaps Chinese and English – But Beyond?

Abstract

Locative inversion (LI) is a construction that is very prominent in Bantu languages. It involves inversion of a locative with the logical/thematic subject. The inversion is accompanied by a reversal of grammatical functions whereby the locative becomes the subject. LI is associated with a special discourse function, that of presentational focus. Within Bantu there is considerable variation, especially concerning thematic restrictions and the robustness of locative morphology. In addition, inversion may not always involve a reversal of grammatical functions. While the subjecthood of locatives is relatively easy to diagnose in languages where they agree with the verb, an alternative analysis in terms of topicalization suggests itself when there is no agreement. LI has been described for very few other languages, including English and Chinese. In both languages, the evidence for the subjecthood of the locative is limited or equivocal. LI thus appears to be a very rare phenomenon and this rarity may be the key to a fundamental understanding of the construction.