Semantic reanalysis in grammaticalization in Chinese
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Janet Zhiqun Xing
Abstract
In this study, the analysis of three processes of grammaticalization (verb > classifier, verb > auxiliary, and verb > preposition) provides evidence that semantic reanalysis is an independent mechanism of semantic change in grammaticalization (Gram) in Chinese. It will be argued that the traditional understanding of metaphoricalization (Meta) and metonymization (Meto) resides at the semantic and discourse/pragmatic levels, whereas semantic reanalysis depends on the position of a lexeme in a construction and its relationship to the surrounding context. As a result, semantic change in Gram in Chinese has emerged as a trifold system supported by three mechanisms: Meta, Meto, and semantic reanalysis.
Abstract
In this study, the analysis of three processes of grammaticalization (verb > classifier, verb > auxiliary, and verb > preposition) provides evidence that semantic reanalysis is an independent mechanism of semantic change in grammaticalization (Gram) in Chinese. It will be argued that the traditional understanding of metaphoricalization (Meta) and metonymization (Meto) resides at the semantic and discourse/pragmatic levels, whereas semantic reanalysis depends on the position of a lexeme in a construction and its relationship to the surrounding context. As a result, semantic change in Gram in Chinese has emerged as a trifold system supported by three mechanisms: Meta, Meto, and semantic reanalysis.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
- Subjecthood in Chinese 23
- Characteristic syntactic patterns of Mandarin Chinese 49
- The origins of Sinitic 73
- Classifier choices in discourse across the seven main Chinese dialects 101
- The painted word 127
- Tone realization in younger versus older speakers of Nanjing dialect 147
- Evaluating the emergence of [ʋ] in modern spoken Mandarin 171
- The semantic constraints on the verb + zhe nouns in Mandarin Chinese 189
- The semantic type system of event nouns 205
- Semantic reanalysis in grammaticalization in Chinese 223
- How linear distance and structural distance affect the processing of gap-filler dependencies in head-final relative clauses 247
- Variation in Mandarin Tone 3 Sandhi 271
- The role of instruction in developing pragmatic competence in L2 Chinese 293
- Author index 309
- Subject index 311
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Contributors vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
- Subjecthood in Chinese 23
- Characteristic syntactic patterns of Mandarin Chinese 49
- The origins of Sinitic 73
- Classifier choices in discourse across the seven main Chinese dialects 101
- The painted word 127
- Tone realization in younger versus older speakers of Nanjing dialect 147
- Evaluating the emergence of [ʋ] in modern spoken Mandarin 171
- The semantic constraints on the verb + zhe nouns in Mandarin Chinese 189
- The semantic type system of event nouns 205
- Semantic reanalysis in grammaticalization in Chinese 223
- How linear distance and structural distance affect the processing of gap-filler dependencies in head-final relative clauses 247
- Variation in Mandarin Tone 3 Sandhi 271
- The role of instruction in developing pragmatic competence in L2 Chinese 293
- Author index 309
- Subject index 311
