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Topicalization - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Topicalization is a grammatical process that emphasizes a specific element in a sentence by moving it to the front, often to highlight its importance or contrast. Example: This book, I really enjoyed.

topicalization

/ˌtɑpɪkəlɪˈzeɪʃən/ /ˌtɒpɪkəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/

Definition:

The syntactic process of moving a word or phrase to the front of a sentence for emphasis.

Synonyms:

fronting, focusing, highlighting

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

backgrounding, de-emphasis

Common Collocations:

sentence structure, linguistic emphasis, syntactic movement

Derivatives:

topicalize, topicalized, topicalizing

Usage Tips:

Use topicalization to emphasize a specific element by placing it at the beginning of a sentence.

Common Phrases:

"What I need is time, " "It's money that matters, " "The one who left was John"

Etymology:

Derived from "topic," with the suffix "-ization," indicating the process of making something a focus.

Examples:

  • 1. The teacher explained topicalization in class today.
  • 2. Topicalization helps highlight important information in a sentence.
  • 3. She used topicalization to emphasize her main point.
  • 4. In English, topicalization changes the usual word order.

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