Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese b. *ni-de daan hen/feichang dui/cuo you-OBL answer very correct/wrong ‘Your answer is very correct/wrong.’ c. *wo-de daan bi ni-de geng dui/cuo I-OBL answer COM yours more correct/wrong ‘My answer is more correct than yours.’ This semantic requirement between adjective predicates and adverbial modifiers hypothesizes that gradable predicates require a degree modifier that indicates a relative degree of the predicate, such as implicit comparative degree hen or an explicit comparative degree geng. In BCC, where the contrastive reading is clearly addressed by the bi-clause, the degree adverb may be omitted and covert in PF. What’s more, Liu (2005) proposes that adjective predicates have comparing event implied, so in Chinese a degree adverb takes over the job which the English grammatical tense does. A predicate of an unmodified gradable adjective like expensive in (this pair of socks is expensive) always implies a comparison between the standard value of comparison. Language must have some grammatical mechanism to make the comparing event implied possible. In Inflectional languages such as English, it is grammatical tense that interacts with the gradable adjective to make the comparison implied possible. As a Non-inflectional language, MC adopts at least three ways to mark the implied comparison and thus license the predicative adjectives. (a) strategy 1: To create and environment where the contrasting reading is possible. 64 中正大學 e-Thesys (94 學年度)
Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese (108) zhe ge pingguo hong; na ge huang this CL apple red that CL yellow ‘This apple is red; that one is yellow.’ (b) strategy 2: To insert a degree adverb such as hen, to modify the adjective. (109) ta-de lian hen hong he-OBL face very red ‘His cheeks are blushed.’ (c) strategy 3: Have the adjectival predicate in a reduplicated form. (110) ta-de lian youdian hong-hong-de he-OBL face somewhat red-red-PART ‘His cheeks are a little blushed.’ Liu then claims that degree modifier like very is obligatory for Chinese predicative adjectives in the Implicit Comparatives, when the other two strategies are not available. (111) Implicit Comparatives a. wo [IMPLICIT COMPARATIVE DATUM] hen pang I very fat ‘I am very fat.’ 65 中正大學 e-Thesys (94 學年度)
Page 1:
National Chung Cheng University Gra
Page 4 and 5:
Syntax of the Bi Comparative Constr
Page 6 and 7:
Page 8 and 9:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16 and 17:
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21: Syntax of the Bi Comparative Constr
Page 88: Syntax of the Bi Comparative Constr
show all

Syntax of the Bi Comparative Construction in Mandarin Chinese

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?