Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese
Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese
Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese
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<strong>Syntax</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bi</strong> <strong>Comparative</strong> <strong>Construction</strong> <strong>in</strong> Mandar<strong>in</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />
b. zhe-duo hua bi na-duo geng da<br />
this-CL flower COM that-CL more big<br />
‘This flower is bigger than that one.’<br />
(105) a. wo (hen/feichang) xihuan ni<br />
I very like you<br />
‘I like you very much.’<br />
b. wo bi ta geng xihuan ni<br />
I COM he more like you<br />
‘I like you more than he does.’<br />
(106) a. ta *(hen) nűren<br />
she very women<br />
‘S/He is very woman-like.’<br />
b. ta bi ni geng nűren<br />
he COM you more woman<br />
‘S/He is more women-like than you.’<br />
As for <strong>the</strong> absolute adjectives like (107), dui/cuo ‘correct/wrong,’ which are<br />
def<strong>in</strong>ed as <strong>the</strong> fixed true-false standard <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> truth-conditional semantics (precise<br />
value) cannot be gradable predicates, and thus disallow comparative forms.<br />
(107) a. *ni-de da’an dui/cuo<br />
you-OBL answer correct/wrong<br />
63<br />
中正大學 e-Thesys (94 學年度)
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