Chapter 5. The acceptability of 把 ba +subject-oriented resultatives in Mandarin Chinese
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Shuo Yu
Abstract
The combination of 把 ba and subject-oriented resultative constructions in Mandarin Chinese, which is not always well accepted by native speakers, has so far received little scholarly attention. To test the acceptability of 把 ba + subject-oriented resultatives in Chinese, based on examples in the corpora, a questionnaire survey among 71 Chinese college students was carried out with the technique of magnitude estimation, which could detect small but significant differences in acceptability. The results suggest that the acceptability of 把 ba + subject-oriented resultatives depends on the degree of transitivity of the sentence. In general, patterns with the interpretation of the subject making efforts to achieve something thoroughly are acceptable. The cognitive explanation I propose is that a high degree of transitivity expressed by the sentence is compatible with the function of 把 ba as a marker of high transitivity.
Abstract
The combination of 把 ba and subject-oriented resultative constructions in Mandarin Chinese, which is not always well accepted by native speakers, has so far received little scholarly attention. To test the acceptability of 把 ba + subject-oriented resultatives in Chinese, based on examples in the corpora, a questionnaire survey among 71 Chinese college students was carried out with the technique of magnitude estimation, which could detect small but significant differences in acceptability. The results suggest that the acceptability of 把 ba + subject-oriented resultatives depends on the degree of transitivity of the sentence. In general, patterns with the interpretation of the subject making efforts to achieve something thoroughly are acceptable. The cognitive explanation I propose is that a high degree of transitivity expressed by the sentence is compatible with the function of 把 ba as a marker of high transitivity.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Chapter 1. Researching the Chinese language and discourse 1
- Chapter 2. The distribution of null subjects in Chinese discourse 11
- Chapter 3. Conversational narrative marker 37
- Chapter 4. Windows of attention and the polysemy of V-kai 59
- Chapter 5. The acceptability of 把 ba +subject-oriented resultatives in Mandarin Chinese 73
- Chapter 6. Gender representation in Chinese language 101
- Chapter 7. Understanding stancetaking through gestures and linguistic practices in a public political debate in Hong Kong 119
- Chapter 8. Representations of Pinkunsheng in China’s university media 147
- Chapter 9. Language resources of Yunnan in “the Belt and Road” project 167
- Chapter 10. Impact of power relations on news translation in China 177
- Chapter 11. Translating puns in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 195
- Chapter 12. Translation and re-narration of Nainai 219
- Name index 229
- Subject index 231
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- Chapter 1. Researching the Chinese language and discourse 1
- Chapter 2. The distribution of null subjects in Chinese discourse 11
- Chapter 3. Conversational narrative marker 37
- Chapter 4. Windows of attention and the polysemy of V-kai 59
- Chapter 5. The acceptability of 把 ba +subject-oriented resultatives in Mandarin Chinese 73
- Chapter 6. Gender representation in Chinese language 101
- Chapter 7. Understanding stancetaking through gestures and linguistic practices in a public political debate in Hong Kong 119
- Chapter 8. Representations of Pinkunsheng in China’s university media 147
- Chapter 9. Language resources of Yunnan in “the Belt and Road” project 167
- Chapter 10. Impact of power relations on news translation in China 177
- Chapter 11. Translating puns in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 195
- Chapter 12. Translation and re-narration of Nainai 219
- Name index 229
- Subject index 231
