Subject-Raising: A Grammatical Phenomenon for Emphasis and Effect

Subject-raising is a grammatical phenomenon in which a sentence element that would normally be the subject of a sentence is instead raised to a higher position in the sentence, often at the beginning of the sentence. This can occur in languages with a variety of grammatical structures, but it is particularly common in languages with complex systems of case marking and/or verb agreement.

In English, for example, subject-raising is relatively rare, but it can occur in certain contexts, such as when a relative clause is used as the subject of a sentence: "The man who I saw yesterday is my brother." In this sentence, the relative clause "who I saw yesterday" is raised to the beginning of the sentence and functions as the subject.

In other languages, subject-raising can be more common and can serve a variety of purposes. For example, in Arabic, it is possible to raise the subject of a sentence to the beginning of the sentence for emphasis or topicalization: "The man who is writing the letter is my brother." In this sentence, the subject "the man" is raised to the beginning of the sentence to emphasize the identity of the person writing the letter.

Subject-raising can also be used to create a sense of surprise or unexpectedness in a sentence. For example, in Japanese, it is possible to raise the subject of a sentence to the beginning of the sentence for dramatic effect: "My brother, who I thought was dead, appeared at the door." In this sentence, the subject "my brother" is raised to the beginning of the sentence to create a sense of surprise and unexpectedness.

Overall, subject-raising is a grammatical phenomenon that can be used to create a variety of effects in language, including emphasis, topicalization, and dramatic effect. It is particularly common in languages with complex systems of case marking and/or verb agreement, but it can also occur in languages with more straightforward grammatical structures.