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Article published In: Asian Languages and Linguistics
Vol. 3:1 (2022) ► pp.60–88

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Dimensional adjectives in Nuosu Yi

 | Queens College, City University of New York
 | University of Macau
Published online: 5 July 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/alal.21017.liu
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss two types of dimensional adjectives in Nuosu Yi (Tibeto-Burman), which we refer to as Positive adjectives (PAs) and Equative Adjectives (EAs). We show that PAs and EAs are subject to different distributions in gradation structures: EAs are only admissible in gradation structures that can be associated with measure phrases, which include differential comparatives (e.g., Ayi is 2 cm taller than Aguo.) and degree questions (e.g., How tall is Ayi?). PAs are licensed elsewhere, including comparatives that do not introduce a differential (e.g., Ayi is taller than Aguo.), the intensification construction (e.g., Ayi is very tall), the superlative construction (e.g., Ayi is the tallest), etc. Assuming that measure phrases are degree-denoting expressions, we propose that the complementary distribution of PAs and EAs in Nuosu Yi is due to their different semantics: PAs are context sensitive predicates that do not introduce a degree argument (of type <e, t>), while EAs are degree predicates (of type <d, <e, t>>).
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Gradation structures in Nuosu Yi
    • 2.1Gradation structures for PAs
      • Comparatives (with no differentials)
      • Equatives
      • Exclamatives
      • Intensification
      • Excessives
      • Superlatives
    • 2.2Gradation structures for EAs
      • Differential comparatives
      • Degree questions (Exclamatives)
      • Equatives (exactly as Adj. as)
    • 2.3Summary
  • 3.Two modes of comparison: Explicit vs implicit comparison
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1The degree-based approach and the delineation approach
    • 4.2The semantics of PAs and EAs
  • 5.Modifiers of PAs
  • 6.A decompositional analysis of PAs and EAs
  • 7.Cross-linguistic comparison and conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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