Left Dislocation

Abstract

Abstract This chapter offers an overview of the three main types of left dislocation – contrastive left dislocation, clitic left dislocation, and hanging topic left dislocation – across languages. While they all involve a phrasal element appearing in the left periphery of the clause, which is resumed by some element within the clause, they differ with respect to a number of properties, for example the nature of the resumptive element and the position of the resumptive element, as well as with respect to the nature of the element that can undergo left dislocation. The chapter then addresses the question as to whether or not these types of left dislocation involve movement or base‐generation of the dislocated element. Finally, the chapter briefly discusses cases of left dislocation in the noun phrase, pointing at similarities between clausal and nominal left dislocation.