Chapter 8. On the syntax of causal clauses in Mandarin Chinese
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Victor Junnan Pan
Abstract
This chapter examines problems and issues related to the syntax of causal-consequent clauses in Chinese. Conjunctions that introduce these clauses in Chinese do not form a homogeneous syntactic category: Some are analyzed as complementizers, whereas the others as prepositions. Furthermore, both orders, “causal clause > consequent clause” and “consequent clause > causal clause”, are observed in Chinese and we will argue that there is not necessarily any derivational relation between them. A causal clause will be analyzed as an adjunct to a consequent clause. Sentence-final particles in Chinese head different types of functional projections in the left-periphery and they can take a causal or a consequent clause as their complement. The interaction between clauses and particles will also be examined in detail.
Abstract
This chapter examines problems and issues related to the syntax of causal-consequent clauses in Chinese. Conjunctions that introduce these clauses in Chinese do not form a homogeneous syntactic category: Some are analyzed as complementizers, whereas the others as prepositions. Furthermore, both orders, “causal clause > consequent clause” and “consequent clause > causal clause”, are observed in Chinese and we will argue that there is not necessarily any derivational relation between them. A causal clause will be analyzed as an adjunct to a consequent clause. Sentence-final particles in Chinese head different types of functional projections in the left-periphery and they can take a causal or a consequent clause as their complement. The interaction between clauses and particles will also be examined in detail.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Outline of the volume 1
-
Part I. Setting the scene
- Chapter 2. Adverbial clauses and their variation 15
-
Part II. Synchronic variation
- Chapter 3. Types of German causal clauses and their syntactic-semantic layers 51
- Chapter 4. Pragmatic subordination 101
- Chapter 5. English rationale since and a reassessment of the typology of adverbial clauses 129
- Chapter 6. Expressing non-volitional causality in English 167
- Chapter 7. Layers of subordinate clauses 184
- Chapter 8. On the syntax of causal clauses in Mandarin Chinese 221
- Chapter 9. Three ReasonPs 250
-
Part III. Diachrony
- Chapter 10. On the divergent developments of two German causal subjunctions 269
- Chapter 11. Factors for the integration of causal clauses in the history of German 311
- Language index 347
- Subject index 348
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface and acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Outline of the volume 1
-
Part I. Setting the scene
- Chapter 2. Adverbial clauses and their variation 15
-
Part II. Synchronic variation
- Chapter 3. Types of German causal clauses and their syntactic-semantic layers 51
- Chapter 4. Pragmatic subordination 101
- Chapter 5. English rationale since and a reassessment of the typology of adverbial clauses 129
- Chapter 6. Expressing non-volitional causality in English 167
- Chapter 7. Layers of subordinate clauses 184
- Chapter 8. On the syntax of causal clauses in Mandarin Chinese 221
- Chapter 9. Three ReasonPs 250
-
Part III. Diachrony
- Chapter 10. On the divergent developments of two German causal subjunctions 269
- Chapter 11. Factors for the integration of causal clauses in the history of German 311
- Language index 347
- Subject index 348
