Cover not available

Article published In: Language and Linguistics
Vol. 19:2 (2018) ► pp.306–332

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF

NP interpretation and disposal variations among the Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shaoxing dialects

 | The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong
Open Access logo
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Published online: 15 April 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00011.yao
Abstract
Corresponding to the Ba construction (S Ba-OVC) in Mandarin, Cantonese prefers a strong SVCO word order, and the Shaoxing dialect adopts an SOVC variation. This paper makes a detailed cross-linguistic study on the structure and semantic interpretations of disposal NPs and highlights the role of the disposal NPs in the formation of disposal construction in the above three dialects. It suggests that the word order variations in disposal constructions among the Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shaoxing dialects result from the different options being adopted to make the object NPs conform to the so called definiteness constraint of a disposal NP, namely, definite, specific, or generic.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Review
    • 2.1Phrase structure constraint (PSC) and Liu’s (2000) word order classification
    • 2.2 Tang’s (2006) verb-raising analysis
  • 3.Distribution of disposal NPs
  • 4.Our approach
    • 4.1NP interpretation and disposal variations between the Mandarin-Shaoxing and Cantonese types
    • 4.2SOV(C) and disposal variations in Mandarin and Shaoxing dialect type
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Abbreviations
  • Notes
  • References
References (32)
References
Cheng, Lisa Lai-Shen & Sybesma, Rint. 1999. Bare and not-so-bare nouns and the structure of NP. Linguistic Inquiry 30(4). 509–542. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cheng, Lisa L. -S. & Sybesma, Rint. 2005. Classifiers in four varieties of Chinese. In Cinque, Guglielmo & Kayne, Richard S. (eds.), The Oxford handbook of comparative syntax, 259–292. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cheung, Hung-nin Samuel. 1992. The pretransitive in Cantonese. Zhongguo jingnei yuyan ji yuyanxue diyiji: Hanyu fangyan [Chinese languages and linguistics I: Chinese dialects] (Symposium Series of the Institute of History and Philosophy, Academia Sinica, No. 2), 241–303. Taiwan: Institute of History and Philosophy, Academia Sinica.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chierchia, Gennaro. 1998. Reference to kinds across languages. Natural Language Semantics 61. 339–405. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Farkas, Donka F. & de Swart, Henriëtte. 2003. The semantics of incorporation: From argument structure to discourse transparency (Stanford Monographs in Linguistics). Stanford: CSLI Publications.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hsueh, Feng-sheng. 1987. Shilun “Ba” ziju de yuyi texing [The semantic property of Ba construction]. Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies] 1987(1). 4–22.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Huang, Borong. 1993. Guangzhouhua houzhi chengfen jiaofengfu [Cantonese abounds in postverbal elements]. In Cheng, Ting Au & Zhou, Xiaobin (eds.), Guangzhouhua yanjiu yu jiaoxue [Research and teaching of Cantonese], 45–50. Guangzhou: Sun Yat-sen University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Huang, C. -T. James. 1982/1998. Logical relations in Chinese and the theory of grammar. Cambridge: MIT. (Doctoral dissertation.) (Published in 1988 by Garland Publishing.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Krifka, Manfred. 1993. Focus and presupposition in dynamic interpretation. Journal of Semantics 10(4). 269–300. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kuroda, S. -Y. 1972. The categorical and the thetic judgment: Evidence from Japanese syntax. Foundations of Language 9(2). 153–185.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, Po Lun Peppina. 2004. Affixal quantification: A syntax-semantics mapping approach to Cantonese suffixal quantifiers. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong. (Doctoral dissertation.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leung, Yin-bing. 2004. Yuefangyanqu yuyan jiechu de yige xianxiang – ‘Ba’ ziju de yunyong [The usage of Ba constructions – An indication of language contact in Yue dialects]. In T’sou, Benjamin K. & You, Rujie (eds.), Yuyan jiechu lunji [A collection of papers on language contact], 375–394. Shanghai: Shanghai Educational Publishing House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Li, Wei. 1993. “Jiang” ziju he “ba” ziju [The Jiang construction and the BA construction]. In Cheng, Ting Au & Zhou, Xiaobin (eds.), Guangzhouhua yanjiu yu jiaoxue [Research and teaching of Cantonese], 51–63. Guangzhou: Sun Yat-sen University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Li, Yen-Hui Audrey. 2006. Chinese Ba . In Everaert, Martin & van Riemsdijk, Henk (eds.), The Blackwell companion to syntax, vol. 11, 374–468. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Liu, Danqing. 2000. Yueyu jufa de leixingxue tedian [Typological characteristics of Cantonese syntax]. Asia Pacific Journal of Language in Education 3(2). 1–30.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Longobardi, Giuseppe. 1994. Reference and proper names: A theory of N-movement in syntax and logical form. Linguistic Inquiry 25(4). 609–665.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Luke, Kang-kwong. 1998. Yueyu mingcizu zhong de houzhi xiushiyu [The postpositive modifiers in Cantonese noun phrases]. Fangyan [Dialect] 1998(1). 48–52.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lü, Shuxiang. 1990. Bazi yongfan de yanjiu [A study of BA]. Lü Shuxiang wenji [The collected works of Lü Shuxiang], vol. 21, 176–199. Beijing: The Commercial Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Partee, Barbara H. 1987. Noun phrase interpretation and type-shifting principles. In Groenendijk, Jeroen & de Jongh, Dick & Stokhof, Martin (eds.), Studies in discourse representation theory and the theory of generalized quantifiers (Groningen-Amsterdam Studies in Semantic 8), 115–143. Dordrecht: Foris. (Reprinted in Portner, Paul & Partee, Barbara H. (eds.). 2002. Formal semantics: The essential readings, 357–381. Oxford: Blackwell.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rooth, Mats Edward. 1985. Association with focus. Amherst: University of Massachusetts. (Doctoral dissertation.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rooth, Mats. 1992. A theory of focus interpretation. Natural Language Semantics 1(1). 75–116. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shen, Yuan. 2002. The semantics and pragmatics of bare noun phrases in Chinese. Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong. (Doctoral dissertation.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shyu, Shu-ing. 1995. The syntax of focus and topic in Mandarin Chinese. Los Angeles: University of Southern California. (Doctoral dissertation.)Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2001. Remarks on object movement in Mandarin SOV order. Language and Linguistics 2(1). 93–124.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tang, Sze-Wing. 2006. Hanyu fangyan shoushi huatiju leixing de canshu fenxi [A parametric approach to the typology of subtopics in Chinese dialects]. Yuyan Kexue [Linguistic Sciences] 5(6). 3–11.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tao, Hongyin & Zhang, Bojiang. 2000. Wudingshi Baziju zai jin, xiandai Hanyu zhong de diwei jiqi lilun yiyi [The status of indefinite Ba-constructions in modern and contemporary Chinese and its implications]. Zhongguo Yuwen [Studies of the Chinese Language] 2000(5). 433–446.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tsao, Feng-fu. 1987. A topic-comment approach to the BA construction. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 15(1). 1–54.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wang, Huan. 1985. “Ba” ziju zhong “BA” de binyu [On the object of the pre-transitive BA把]. Zhongguo Yuwen [Studies of the Chinese Language] 1985(1). 48–51.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wu, Yicheng & Bodomo, Adams. 2009. Classifiers ≠ determiners. Linguistic Inquiry 40(3). 487–503. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Xu, Baohua & Tao, Huan. 1999. Wuyu de chuzhiju [Disposal constructions in the Wu dialects]. In Wu, Yunji (ed.), Hanyu fangyan gongshi yu lishi yufa yantao lunwenji [Anthology on the synchronic and diachronic grammar of Chinese dialects], 135–167. Guangzhou: Jinan University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Xu, Liejiong & Liu, Danqing. 1998. Huati de jiegou yu gongneng [The structure and function of topic]. Shanghai: Shanghai Educational Publishing House.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zhou, Xiaobing. 1993. Lun Guangzhouhua de yuxu [Word order in Cantonese]. In Cheng, Ting Au & Zhou, Xiaobin (eds.), Guangzhouhua yanjiu yu jiaoxue [Research and teaching of Cantonese], 101–113. Guangzhou: Sun Yat-sen University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue