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Методы определения фокуса в мертвом языке: на пути к реконструкции праиндоевропейского синтаксиса
In this paper, I cover the problem of the topic and focus revealing in the sentences of Hittite and Ancient Greek, two of the earliest Indo-European languages attested in writing. Information structure revealing gives us clues not only to the placement of accent (which is highly relevant for Hittite phonology) but also to the reconstruction of Indo-European syntax. Current methods of information structure analysis in dead languages remain insufficiently developed, with seemingly arbitrary procedures of focus revealing that lack proper argumentation. The paper suggests using a complex approach, subsequently applying several methods that have been tested on living languages, but so far have not yielded positive results on data from extinct languages on their own: namely, the method of Focus Skeleton (identification of a row of focus alternatives together with topic analysis), and the method of Question under Discussion, both of them applied in combination with contextual and philological analysis.