In its traditional definition, switch-reference refers to systems where subject co-reference and disjoint reference across clause boundaries are marked. Found in a wide variety of languages, it is especially prevalent in languages of the Trans-New Guinea family. A closer look at switch-reference constructions in connected speech suggests that the traditional understanding of the primary function of switch-reference might not be accurate. In this study, I rely on data from four traditional Hua folk tales which total approximately thirty minutes. I focus on instances of unexpected switch-reference marking in order to elucidate what principles underlie the use of so-called aberrant forms. I discuss both the morphosyntactic and prosodic patterning in order to advance the claim that switch-reference is based on particular intraclausal relationships within coordinate clause chains.

The morphosyntax of unexpected switch-reference marking involves the interaction between two sets of constructions inherent in the morphology of coordinate medial verbs. One set is used to signal either continuity between the subparts of a single coherent event, or discontinuity between different events. In the other set, a causal interpretation between the actions represented by two clauses is either ruled out or made explicit. The prosodic patterning of these constructions is equally important. Single clauses can occur in separate intonation units when the subparts of an event represent separate actions. Alternatively, both clauses in the construction can occur in a single intonation unit to reflect the cohesiveness of the actions in terms of eventhood. What emerges from these observations is that the primary function of the morphosyntax of switch-reference is to mark dependency relations between coordinate clauses.

The prosody of switch-reference interacts with and sometimes reinforces the morphosyntactic coding by signaling different degrees of continuity and discontinuity at various levels in the event structure of discourse. The claim that Hua switch-reference is fundamentally based on the interplay between dependency relations and event structure has far-reaching consequences for our broader understanding of the typology of clause combining, and suggests a need for a closer look at the cross-linguistic interactions between the morphosyntax and prosody of switch-reference.