Antecedensfókuszú

Antecedensfókuszú is a Hungarian term used in linguistics to describe a type of focus that emphasizes the relevance of what lies outside the text being discussed, specifically the relationship between the events or states mentioned and what has led up to them. This phenomenon is also known as cataphoric expression or futures-in-the past.

When a sentence or clause has an antecedensfókuszú, the focus shifts from the immediate action or event to the circumstances or events that occurred before. It is a way of expressing a relatively old event as if it were happening now, as a result of another (more recent) action or situation. Antecedensfókuszú can serve multiple purposes in a sentence, including introducing background information, setting a context, or emphasizing a continuity between the event being discussed and past circumstances.

For example, the sentence "Közben Batytyán kisasszony derűs arcot öltött, és azonnal érkezett" could be translated to "Meanwhile Mrs. Batytyán smiled and arrived immediately." The use of "közben" in this sentence, which emphasizes the situation unfolding at the same time as what is being described, serves to spotlight the present circumstance (Mrs. Batytyán's arrival) as a direct consequence of the preceding event (the husband disappearing).

Antecedensfókuszú is often used in narratives to bridge gaps between events and to convey relationships between different points in a story, making it easier for the reader to follow the progression of the narrative and contextualize events within the broader narrative framework.