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This study concerns the interaction of 'focus' with the verbal system of Ejagham, an Ekoid Bantu language. In particular it concerns the multiple forms of the perfective and imperfective aspects. The Ejagham system differs from the tendency in Bantu systems. The verb forms in Ejagham have a 'constituent' focus form that sub-categorizes predicates ("verbs") with terms ("nps"), and an 'operator' focus form used whenever the verbal operator is within the scope of focus. Bantu languages commonly have a form used when the verbal complement falls within the scope of focus but another form for other cases. So Bantu languages tend to group predicates with verbal operators. In addition, Ejagham conflates assertive and contrastive focus, a distinction that is important in other Bantoid languages in the general vicinity of Ejagham but not in Ejagham.

African languages --- Focus (Linguistics) --- Intonation (Phonetics) --- Typology (Linguistics) --- Grammar, Comparative --- Phonetics --- Grammar --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Language and languages --- Linguistics --- Pitch (Phonetics) --- Prosodic analysis (Linguistics) --- Tone (Phonetics) --- Oral interpretation --- Discourse analysis --- Intonation --- Topic and comment

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Over the last two decades, focus has become a prominent topic in major fields in linguistic research (syntax, semantics, phonology). Focus Strategies in African Languages contributes to the ongoing discussion of focus by investigating focus-related phenomena in a range of African languages, most of which have been under-represented in the theoretical literature on focus. The articles in the volume look at focus strategies in Niger-Congo and Afro-Asiatic languages from several theoretical and methodological perspectives, ranging from detailed generative analysis to careful typological generalization across languages. Their common aim is to deepen our understanding of whether and how the information-structural category of focus is represented and marked in natural language. Topics investigated are, among others, the relation of focus and prosody, the effects of information structure on word order, ex situ versus in situ strategies of focus marking, the inventory of focus marking devices, focus and related constructions, focus-sensitive particles. The present inquiry into the focus systems of African languages has repercussions on existing theories of focus. It reveals new focus strategies as well as fine-tuned focus distinctions that are not discussed in the theoretical literature, which is almost exclusively based on well-documented intonation languages.

Niger-Congo languages --- Afroasiatic languages --- Focus (Linguistics) --- Discourse analysis --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Afrasian languages --- Afro-Asiatic languages --- Erythraic languages --- Hamito-Semitic languages --- Semito-Hamitic languages --- African languages --- Grammar. --- Topic and comment --- African languages. --- pragmatics.