John Benjamins Publishing Company
Definiteness in Wenzhounese Chinese in the Netherlands and in China
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Abstract
By comparing two generations of speakers in China and the Netherlands, we investigated whether Wenzhounese Chinese as spoken by heritage speakers in the Netherlands might be subject to change due to its contact with the Dutch language. To this end, we considered how nouns referring to already mentioned referents were encoded, hypothesizing an increase in overtly marked already mentioned referents in the speech of second generation speakers in the Netherlands. Also, shifts in the use of classifier and demonstrative constructions were investigated as carriers of definite meanings. The data showed clear generation effects, especially in the use of classifier and demonstrative constructions, but no location effects. Although the interpretation of the data is compromised by the fact that Wenzhounese as spoken China is under threat, the study suggests that innovations found in heritage speakers may not necessarily be related to the heritage scenario, but can also reflect more general contact effects or internally motivated changes.
Abstract
By comparing two generations of speakers in China and the Netherlands, we investigated whether Wenzhounese Chinese as spoken by heritage speakers in the Netherlands might be subject to change due to its contact with the Dutch language. To this end, we considered how nouns referring to already mentioned referents were encoded, hypothesizing an increase in overtly marked already mentioned referents in the speech of second generation speakers in the Netherlands. Also, shifts in the use of classifier and demonstrative constructions were investigated as carriers of definite meanings. The data showed clear generation effects, especially in the use of classifier and demonstrative constructions, but no location effects. Although the interpretation of the data is compromised by the fact that Wenzhounese as spoken China is under threat, the study suggests that innovations found in heritage speakers may not necessarily be related to the heritage scenario, but can also reflect more general contact effects or internally motivated changes.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Two sides of one coin? 1
- Definiteness in Wenzhounese Chinese in the Netherlands and in China 15
- Effects of first language attrition on heritage language input and ultimate attainment 33
- Not in the mood 71
- Word order variation in heritage languages 99
- Language contact 125
- How do parental input and socio-economic status account for differences within and between the cohorts? 151
- Heritage and non-heritage bilinguals 171
- High sensitivity to conceptual cues in Turkish heritage speakers with dominant German L2 197
- The Frequency Code and gendered attrition and acquisition in the German-English heritage language community in Vancouver, Canada 229
- Does extensive L2 exposure trigger L1 attrition of perfective and durative aspect marking in Mandarin Chinese? 255
- Author Index 271
- Language Index 273
- Subject Index 275
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Two sides of one coin? 1
- Definiteness in Wenzhounese Chinese in the Netherlands and in China 15
- Effects of first language attrition on heritage language input and ultimate attainment 33
- Not in the mood 71
- Word order variation in heritage languages 99
- Language contact 125
- How do parental input and socio-economic status account for differences within and between the cohorts? 151
- Heritage and non-heritage bilinguals 171
- High sensitivity to conceptual cues in Turkish heritage speakers with dominant German L2 197
- The Frequency Code and gendered attrition and acquisition in the German-English heritage language community in Vancouver, Canada 229
- Does extensive L2 exposure trigger L1 attrition of perfective and durative aspect marking in Mandarin Chinese? 255
- Author Index 271
- Language Index 273
- Subject Index 275
