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Article published In: International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Vol. 8:1 (2021) ► pp.35–72

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On Middle applicatives

Evidence from Mandarin BA

 | Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Published online: 1 June 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.20001.zha
Abstract
The Mandarin bǎ-construction has been one of the most well studied subjects in Chinese grammar. Although the previous studies have achieved some exciting results, the exact nature of bǎ and the syntactic derivation of the bǎ-construction remain largely controversial. The current paper constitutes an attempt to clarify the two issues under the minimalist framework. In particular, while keeping in line with the little v analysis of bǎ proposed by Sybesma, R. (1999). The Mandarin VP. Dordrecht: Kluwer. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Lin, T.-H. J. (2001). Light Verb Syntax and the Theory of Phrase Structure [Doctoral dissertation], University of California.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar among others, I argue that there is a Middle applicative projection (an affected applicative) between V and v; the bǎ-NP is formed by a movement of VP-internal arguments to Spec.ApplPmid, which can optionally be occupied by gěi, and it gets an accusative Case from bǎ in v. With this analysis, we can better account for the core syntactic and semantic properties of bǎ-constructions. Furthermore, I will show that the proposed applicative approach has some interesting consequences for Taiwanese ka-constructions, a near counterpart of Mandarin bǎ-constructions. Finally, I will compare bǎ-constructions to languages with differential object marking in arguing that Mandarin uses a special strategy – light verb marking to mark the specific/affected objects.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Previous analyses
    • 2.1Kuo (2010): The transitivity analysis
    • 2.2Travis (2010), Yang and Cheng (2018): The AspP analysis
    • 2.3Jheng 2012: The applicative analysis
  • 3.The analysis
    • 3.1Bǎ-NPs: Dislocated or base-generated?
      • 3.1.1Idioms
      • 3.1.2The test with split partitivity
      • 3.1.3Some conceptual arguments
    • 3.2The syntax of bǎ-constructions
    • 3.3A specification of the proposed ApplP
    • 3.4The gapless bǎ-sentences
    • 3.5Free alternation?
  • 4.Taiwanese Ka
  • 5.Bǎ and differential object marking
  • 6.Concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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Xie, Chen
2023. The de-construction in Wenzhounese: how it differs from the bǎ-construction in Mandarin. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 32:3 ► pp. 303 ff. DOI logo

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