Chinese comparatives
-
Jo-wang Lin
Abstract
This article aims to make a contribution to the recent debate between the phrasal and clausal analyses of Chinese comparatives, focusing on Lin (2009) for the phrasal approach and Liu (2011, 2014), Hsieh (2017) and Erlewine (2018) for the clausal approach. I show that problems such as lack of independent support for the rule of backward predicate deletion, subcomparatives, embedded standards and verbal comparatives remain difficult challenges to the new clausal analyses and that counter-arguments against the phrasal approach do not necessarily hold. To the contrary, a fine tuning of Lin’s original phrasal analysis of bi not only avoids an important criticism made by Liu (2011) but can be extended to analyze verbal-comparatives in a way that the clausal analyses cannot.
Abstract
This article aims to make a contribution to the recent debate between the phrasal and clausal analyses of Chinese comparatives, focusing on Lin (2009) for the phrasal approach and Liu (2011, 2014), Hsieh (2017) and Erlewine (2018) for the clausal approach. I show that problems such as lack of independent support for the rule of backward predicate deletion, subcomparatives, embedded standards and verbal comparatives remain difficult challenges to the new clausal analyses and that counter-arguments against the phrasal approach do not necessarily hold. To the contrary, a fine tuning of Lin’s original phrasal analysis of bi not only avoids an important criticism made by Liu (2011) but can be extended to analyze verbal-comparatives in a way that the clausal analyses cannot.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. The structure of lexical and functional projections
- Finiteness, opacity, and Chinese clausal architecture 17
- Place and distance 77
- “Descriptive complements” are manner adverbials 111
- SVCs in disguise 133
-
Part II. Modal verb syntax
- Modal movement licensed by focus 165
- Negative modals and prohibitives in Taiwanese Southern Min 193
-
Part III. Syntax-semantics interactions
- Skolemized topicality for indefinites and universal quantifier mei -phrases in Chinese 219
- Chinese comparatives 249
- Head dependency and degree words in Mandarin 293
- Constraints on the representation of anaphoric definiteness in Mandarin Chinese 301
- Noncanonical arguments via the high applicative 331
- Applied objects in Mandarin and the nature of selection 357
- On the syntax of incompleteness 395
-
Part IV. The syntax and interpretation of particles
- On the syntax of mirativity 431
- On the mirative marker leh 4 in Taiwanese Southern Min 445
- Non-veridical kaN in Taiwanese Southern Min 479
- Sentence-internal discourse particles in Mandarin Chinese 509
-
Part V. Acquisition of syntactic structures
- V- gei vs. double object construction 539
- Predicting the unpredictable 555
- Index 575
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. The structure of lexical and functional projections
- Finiteness, opacity, and Chinese clausal architecture 17
- Place and distance 77
- “Descriptive complements” are manner adverbials 111
- SVCs in disguise 133
-
Part II. Modal verb syntax
- Modal movement licensed by focus 165
- Negative modals and prohibitives in Taiwanese Southern Min 193
-
Part III. Syntax-semantics interactions
- Skolemized topicality for indefinites and universal quantifier mei -phrases in Chinese 219
- Chinese comparatives 249
- Head dependency and degree words in Mandarin 293
- Constraints on the representation of anaphoric definiteness in Mandarin Chinese 301
- Noncanonical arguments via the high applicative 331
- Applied objects in Mandarin and the nature of selection 357
- On the syntax of incompleteness 395
-
Part IV. The syntax and interpretation of particles
- On the syntax of mirativity 431
- On the mirative marker leh 4 in Taiwanese Southern Min 445
- Non-veridical kaN in Taiwanese Southern Min 479
- Sentence-internal discourse particles in Mandarin Chinese 509
-
Part V. Acquisition of syntactic structures
- V- gei vs. double object construction 539
- Predicting the unpredictable 555
- Index 575