1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
  4. Volume 11, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 11, Issue 1
  • ISSN 2213-8706
  • E-ISSN: 2213-8714
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Both traditional linguistics and psycholinguistics have extensively explored the issue of the category that separable words belong to, yet different opinions persist. Building upon previous research, this study selects verb-complement structures as its focal point. Based on the number of internally insertable elements, these structures are categorized into verb-complement compounds, verb-complement compact structures, verb-complement loose structures, and verb-complement phrases. The study compares the processing similarities and differences between the four types of structures with and without inter-component spacing so that the “disconnected” and “connected” states of the four structures are investigated. Experimental results indicate that regardless of the insertion of spaces, the reaction times for processing verb-complement compounds, compact structures, and loose structures are shorter than those for phrases. In the comparison of presence and absence of spaces, compounds and compact structures exhibit greater consistency, whereas no significant differences are observed between loose structures and phrases. This suggests that the processing of verb-complement compact structures closely resembles that of words, while the processing of loose structures embodies characteristics of both compounds and phrases, yet differs from both words and phrases. This study demonstrates that based on the degree of internal expansion, separable words can be further classified into subcategories, existing in a transitional state between words and phrases, forming a continuous continuum with compounds and phrases.

© 2024 John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
2024-06-17
2025-06-13

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Baayen, R., Davidson, D. & Bates, D.
    (2008) Mixed-effects modeling with crossed random effects for subjects and items. Journal of Memory and Language, 591, 390–412. 10.1016/j.jml.2007.12.005
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2007.12.005 [Google Scholar]
  2. Bai, L. L., & Chen, B. G.
    (2011) Hanzi xide de nianling dui cilei xinxi jiagong de yingxiang [The Effect of Chinese Character Acquisition Age on Word-like Information Processing]. Journal of Psychological Science, 21, 343–347.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bai, X., Yan, G., Liversedge, S. P., Zang, C. & Rayner, K.
    (2008) Reading spaced and unspaced Chinese text: evidence from eye movements. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception Performance, 34 (5), 1277–1287.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Barr, D., Levy, R., Scheepers, C. & Tily, H. J.
    (2013) Random effects structure for confirmatory hypothesis testing: Keep it maximal. Journal of Memory and Language, 681, 255–278. 10.1016/j.jml.2012.11.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2012.11.001 [Google Scholar]
  5. Bates, D., Mächler, M., Bolker, B. & Walker, S.
    (2014) Fitting linear mixed-effects models using lme4. Journal of Statistical Software, 67(1), 1–48.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Chao, Y. R.
    (1968) A grammar of spoken Chinese. Berkeley: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Chen, B. G., Wang, L. X., Wang, L. L., & Peng, D. L.
    (2004) Cihui xide nianling he pinlv dui cihui shibie de yingxiang [The Effects of Age and Frequency of Vocabulary Acquisition on Word Recognition]. Journal of Psychological Science, 61, 1515–1517.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Du, C.
    (2012) Ci de qingxuxing yu jutixing dui cihui shibie de yingxiang yanjiu [A Study on the Influence of Word Emotionality and Concreteness on Lexical Recognition]. Theory and Practice of Education, 361, 42–44.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Duanmu, S.
    (1998) Wordhood in Chinese. New Approaches to Chinese Word Formation: Morphology, Phonology and the Lexicon in Modern and Ancient Chinese, edited byPackard, J.L, New York: De Gruyter Mouton. 135–196. 10.1515/9783110809084.135
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110809084.135 [Google Scholar]
  10. Editorial Office for Dictionary in Linguistic Institute of Chinese Social Academy
    Editorial Office for Dictionary in Linguistic Institute of Chinese Social Academy 2016 Contemporary dictionary of Chinese (7th ed.). Beijing: The Commercial Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Fan, J. Y.
    (1958) Xingming zuhe jian de zi de yufa zuoyong [The grammatical function of de in adjective-noun constructions]. Studies of the Chinese Language, 51: 213–217.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Fan, X.
    (1981) Zenyang qubie xiandai hanyu de ci tong duanyu [How to Distinguish Words from Phrases in Modern Chinese]. DongYue Tribune, 41, 104–111.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Gu, J. X., Yu, L., & Ma, P. J.
    (2011) Jiyu nianzhuoxing de liheci biaozheng yanjiu – shenjingdian shenglixue shiyan zuozheng [Adhesion-based Characterization of Clutch Words – Experimental Evidence by Neuroelectrophysiology]. Modern Chinese, 41, 115–120.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Gu, J. X., Yang, Y. M., Ma, Y., & Shen, Z. Y.
    (2018) Liheci de yinxi tezheng ji qi shenjing jichu yanjiu [Study on Phonological Features of Detachable Words and their Neural Basis]. Studies in Language and Linguistics, 11, 63–73.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Huang, C.-T. James
    (1984) Phrase structure, lexical integrity, and Chinese compounds. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers Association, 19.21, 53–78.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Kuznetsova, A., Brockhoff, P. B., & Christensen, R. H. B.
    (2017) lmerTest Package: Tests in Linear Mixed Effects Models. Journal of Statistical Software, 82(13), 1–26. 10.18637/jss.v082.i13
     https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v082.i13 [Google Scholar]
  17. Lenth, R. V.
    (2016) Least-squares means: The R package lsmeans. Journal of Statistical Software, 69(1), 1–33. 10.18637/jss.v069.i01
     https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v069.i01 [Google Scholar]
  18. Li, L. Y.
    (2010) Xiandai hanyu dongbushi fuheci de jiegou yu gongneng yanjiu [A Study on the Structure and Function of Verb-complement Compounds in Modern Chinese]. Hebei Normal University.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Li, Q. H.
    (1983) Tan liheci de tedian he yongfa [On the Characteristics and Usage of Detachable Words]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 31, 91–100.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Lu, Z. W.
    (1964) Hanyu de gouci fa [A Study of Chinese Word-building]. Science Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Lü, Sh. X.
    (1963) Xiandai hanyu dan shuang yinjie wenti chu tan [A preliminary study of the problem of monosyllabism and disyllabism in modern Chinese], Studies of the Chinese Language, 11: 11–23.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Myers, J.
    (2006) Processing Chinese compounds: A survey of the literature. In: Libben, G., Jarema, G. (Eds.), The representation and processing of compound words. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp.169–196.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. R Core Team
    R Core Team (2020) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Shao, J. M.
    (2007) Xiandai hanyu tonglun [General Modern Chinese]. Shanghai Educational Publishing House.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Song, X.
    (2013) Hanyu fuheci yuyi toumingdu de “shiyi” moshi fenxi [Analysis of the “Interpretation” Model of Semantic Transparency of Chinese Compound Words]. Journal of Yunnan Normal University (Teaching & Studying Chinese as a Foreign Language Edition), 31, 48–52.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Wang, L.
    (1944) Zhongguo yufa lilun [Grammatical theory of Chinese]. Shanghai: Shangwu Yinshuguan.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Xia, Q. S., Wang, L., & Peng, G.
    (2016) Nouns and verbs in Chinese are processed differently: Evidence from an ERP study on monosyllabic and disyllabic word processing. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 401, 66–78.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Yu, H. B.
    (1980) Ci、cuzu、cihui de qubie yu lianxi [Differences and Connections Among Words, Phrases and Vocabulary]. Journal of Southwest Minzu University(Humanities and Social Science), 31, 37–41.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Zhang, H. M.
    (1992) Topics in Chinese phrasal phonology. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, San Diego.
  30. Zhang, Q., Ding, J. H., Guo, C. Y. & Wang, Z. Y.
    (2003) Mingci yu dongci jiagong de ERP yanjiu [ERP Research on Noun and Verb Processing]. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 61, 753–760.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Zhang, Q., Guo, C. Y., Ding, J. H., & Wang, Z. Y.
    (2006) Concreteness effects in the processing of Chinese words. Brain and Language, 961, 59–68. 10.1016/j.bandl.2005.04.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2005.04.004 [Google Scholar]
  32. Zhao, S. H. & Zhang, B. L.
    (1996) Liheci de queding he liheci de xingzhi [The Determination of Detachable Words and the Nature of Detachable Words]. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 11, 50–51.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Zhang, S. S. & Jiang, H.
    (2010b) Cong jiyi bianma jiagong kan rennao zhong de jiben yuyan danwei – yixiang dui hanyu shuangyinjie yuyan danwei de EPRs yanjiu [Basic Linguistic Units in Human Brain from Memory Coding Processing -- An ERPs Study of Chinese Bisyllabic Language Units]. Studies in Language and Linguistics, 41, 81–84.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. (2010a) Liheci shi ci haishi duanyu? – laizi shenjingdian shenglixue de zhengju [Are Detachable Words or Phrases?—Evidence from Neurophysiology]. Linguistic Sciences, 481, 486–498.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
Loading
Are separable words words or phrases?
International Journal of Chinese Linguistics 11, 30 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
/content/journals/10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): inter-component space; phrases; processing mechanism; semantic judgment; verb-complement structures; words

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error