YANG IN MALAY

Abstract

This thesis looks at two types of constructions involving yang. In speech, the usage of yang seems to be optional and random. Upon closer observation, there is a semantic difference between constructions with yang and one without yang. In the first part of the thesis, we look at one particular construction involving yang. In this construction, yang marks a focus. The use of yang also entails a shared information between the speaker and the listener. In the yang construction, the constituent following yang is the shared or presupposed information. This construction, will be argued to be a cleft construction. Then, we look at how the above construction interacts with five particles. These particles are the negative particle bukan, the affirmative particle memang, the emphasis particle lah, and finally the exclusive particle sahaja. The distribution of these particles is dependent, in one way or another, upon the presence of focus in the sentence. In the presence of yang, they undergo a change in distribution. This is related to the presence of focus in the yang construction. Finally, we look at another construction involving yang. In this construction, yang is said to occur in a relative clause construction