Grammaticalization of Verbs in Mandarin Chinese
Janet Zhiqun Xing
Western Washington University
This study demonstrates that many processes of syntactic and semantic change discussed in the literature (e.g. Traugott and Heine 1991, Hopper and Traugott 1993, Heine 1993, Bybee et al. 1994) occur in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs. In addition to that, there are a number of significant tendencies in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs compared with those from typologically different languages.
For instance, semantic categories vary among the verbs that enter into grammaticalization; the source meaning does not determine the path of grammaticalization; and grammaticalization does not entail desemantization. Evidence is presented to show that all verbs investigated in this study have undergone three stages of syntactic reanalysis: serialization, de-centralization, and functionalization. As to semantic change, pragmatic inferencing plays a crucial role throughout the process of all cases of grammaticalization. It is argued that this is primarily attributed to the isolating nature of the Chinese language.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Introduction and Theoretical Preliminaries
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Research on grammaticalization in the East and the West
1.2 Typology of the Chinese language
1.3 Data Sources
1.4 Organization
Chapter Two: Grammaticalization of Verbs in Chinese
2.0 Introduction
2.1 The mechanisms and motivations of syntactic change
2.2 Semantic change
2.3 Conclusion
Chapter Three: Scalar Focus Particle lian
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Historical Development
3.2 Discussion
3.3 Divergence and Desemantization
3.4 Conclusion and implications
Chapter Four: Productive Causative Markers
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Typology of causative constructions
4.2 Historical Development
4.3 Discussion
4.4 Conclusion
Chapter Five: Conclusion and Future Studies
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Future study of Chinese grammaticalization
ISBN 9783895867552. LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics 47. 150pp. 2003.
