1887
Volume 10, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2213-8706
  • E-ISSN: 2213-8714
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Abstract

Abstract

In this study, I first provide an in-depth study on the TSM -V construction with a monosyllabic V, especially on the morpho-syntactic function and the degree-introducing function of the morpheme ‘ho’. Then, based on Liu’s (2020) study on the TSM -V construction, I comprehensively compare these two constructions, which reaches two major points. First, the -V sequence and the -V sequence are intransitive compound verb. The V that ‘u’ merges with can be a lexical verb or an aspectual verb; however, the V that ‘ho’ merges with must be a lexical verb. When forming a compound verb with a lexical verb, ‘u’ has the same morpho-syntactic function as ‘ho’. Second, these two morphemes differ in how to introduce the degree meaning for their corresponding construction. Namely, the dimension of measurement carried by the measure function introduced by ‘u’ is determined by what is measured; however, the morpheme ‘ho’ intrinsically carries a dimension of measurement. Depending on what the morpheme ‘ho’ modifies is the entity denoted by the subject in question or the eventuality argument of V, the dimension of measurement carried by it can be interpreted as ‘be good for one to V’ or ‘it is easy for one to V’.

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2023-12-15
2025-06-20
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