From light noun to nominalizer and more

In this paper, we examine how Chinese light nouns zhe and suo evolved into agent and patient nominalizers respectively. The link between nominalization, relativization and genitivization is explored from a grammaticalization perspective; likewise the frequent relationship between nominalization and clausal subordination. Other uses derived from nominalization constructions are discussed as well, among them speaker stance marking and passive voice marking.

• Affiliations: 1: Hong Kong Polytechnic University; 2: Chinese University of Hong Kong