The three Bantu languages Kinyakyusa, Kîîtharaka, and Rukiga all show a construction with the linear order ‘NP copula pronoun (S) V’, illustrated for Kîîtharaka:
Mû-biira n’ uu Karîmi a-riing-ire.
3-ball cop 3.pro 1.Karimi 1sm-kick-pfv
‘A ball is what Karimi kicked.’
In this talk, we show that this one linear order actually hides three possible underlying structures: reverse pseudocleft, left-dislocated NP + basic cleft, and focus construction. Moreover, each language shows ambiguity.