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Article published In: Studies in Language
Vol. 43:3 (2019) ► pp.668–714

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The grammatical-lexical distinction in Chinese aspectual markers

ORCiD logo with link | Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz
 | University of Copenhagen
Published online: 18 November 2019
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.18006.sun
Abstract
This paper discusses the grammatical-lexical distinction based on Boye, Kasper & Peter Harder. 2012. A usage-based theory of grammatical status and grammaticalization. Language 88(1). 1–44. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar in the class of aspectual markers in Chinese and aims to decide whether these markers are grammatical or lexical in a theoretically anchored sense. To accomplish this, the language-general criteria proposed in Boye, Kasper & Peter Harder. 2012. A usage-based theory of grammatical status and grammaticalization. Language 88(1). 1–44. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar are translated into Chinese-specific criteria for diagnosing grammatical vs. lexical status, and these translated criteria are then applied to Chinese aspect markers in a questionnaire-based survey in order to test whether these markers are lexical or grammatical. Our classification of the Chinese markers tested is then compared with a traditional classification based on grammaticalization features (Lehmann, Christian. 2015. Thoughts on Grammaticalization. Berlin: Language Science Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). The results support an integration of the two ways of approaching the grammatical-lexical distinction.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The grammatical-lexical distinction in Boye and Harder (2012)
  • 3.Chinese tests for distinguishing between grammatical and lexical status
    • 3.1Means of marking focus in Chinese
    • 3.2Means for addressing in Chinese
    • 3.3Summary: The focus and addressability tests in Chinese
  • 4.Chinese aspect markers
    • 4.1Aspectual marking by V2 in the V1V2 resultative constructions
    • 4.2Aspectual marking by directional verbs
    • 4.3The durative aspect marker zhe
    • 4.4The perfective aspect marker le
    • 4.5The progressive aspect marker zài
  • 5.A questionnaire survey of the focus and addressability tests in Chinese
    • Participants
    • Procedures
    • Materials
  • 6.Results
    • 6.1Test results for durative zhe and perfective le
    • 6.2Test results for the resultative components wán ‘finish’ and guò ‘cross’
    • 6.3Test results for experiential guo
    • 6.4Test results for progressive zài
    • 6.5Evaluation of the results
  • 7.Grammaticalization features
    • 7.1Lehmann’s grammaticalization features
    • 7.2Grammaticalization features and grammatical vs. lexical status
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
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Boye, Kasper, Roelien Bastiaanse, Peter Harder & Silvia Martínez-Ferreiro
2023. Agrammatism in a usage-based theory of grammatical status: Impaired combinatorics, compensatory prioritization, or both?. Journal of Neurolinguistics 65 ► pp. 101108 ff. DOI logo

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