De Kind, JasperDom, SebastianDe Schryver, Gilles-MauriceBostoen, Koen2015-11-132015-11-132015-11De Kind, J, Dom, S, De Schryver, GM & Bostoen, K 2015, 'Event-centrality and the pragmatics–semantics interface in Kikongo : from predication focus to progressive aspect and vice versa', Folia Linguistica Historica, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 113-163.0168-647X (print)1614-7316 (online)10.1515/flih-2015-0005http://hdl.handle.net/2263/50448Across Bantu, several polysemic markers expressing progressive aspect and so-called predication focus have been reported (Güldemann 2003; Hyman and Watters 1984). In this article, we examine two such markers in Kikongo (Bantu, H16), i.e. the fronted-infinitive and the locative-infinitive constructions. We provide an in-depth synchronic description of the pragmatic and syntactic behaviour of both verbal constructions and suggest a historical evolution for each of them. We evoke the term ‘event-centrality’ to cover the different uses of both constructions and suggest that the fronted-infinitive construction’s progressive meaning evolved from its use as predication focus marker, and vice versa, that the locative-infinitive construction’s predication focus meaning evolved from its use as a progressive marker.en© 2015 Walter de GruyterEvent-centralityPredication focusProgressive aspectFronted-infinitive constructionLocative-infinitive constructionKikongoBantuHumanities articles SDG-04SDG-04: Quality educationArticle