1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Language and Linguistics
  4. Volume 20, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 20, Issue 1
  • ISSN 1606-822X
  • E-ISSN: 2309-5067
PDF

Abstract

Abstract

Other than subcategorized argument locative PPs (e.g. 放在桌子上 ‘put on the table’), the postverbal position in Modern Mandarin Chinese can only be filled by limited types of adjunct locative prepositional phrases (e.g. 跳在桌子上 ‘jump onto the table’). Among these postverbal adjunct locative PPs, only a small set of PPs permits the incorporation of the preposition into the preceding verb to form a V-P compound (“preposition incorporation”), yielding their previous prepositional object to surface as the object of the compound verb V-P. Previous studies claim that adjunct phrases which quantize an event, such as event delimiters, may behave like arguments (“the delimiter hypothesis”). Yet, our observations find that adjunct locative PPs that are not event delimiters (e.g. directional 向 /往 ‘toward’ PPs or non-directional 在 ‘at’ PPs) can also allow their prepositional object to appear as the verbal object. This thus calls for a modification of the widely-accepted delimiter hypothesis. We argue that the semantic characterization of the postverbal locative PPs permitting PI can be generalized as being associated with the denotation of a scalar result. Specifically, we understand from the perspective of proposed in recent studies and argue that in addition to delimiting an event (that is, introducing a closed scale to the event from the scalar perspective), such PPs can also either add directional information (an open scale) to the event that they modify, or further specify scalar information for the event denoted by the VP. This work not only provides a unified analysis of most types of preposition incorporation that involve the postverbal locative PPs in Mandarin Chinese, but is also the first study that provides a comprehensive analysis of the scalar properties and functions of Chinese locative PPs. Our findings from the Chinese data will also contribute to the cross-linguistic semantic generalization of internal adjuncts and the domain of extended direct case assignment.

© ILAS
Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
2019-01-02
2023-12-02

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/lali.00030.pec.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Bach, Emmon
    1986 The algebra of events. Linguistics and philosophy9(1). 5–16.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Baker, Mark
    1988 Incorporation: A theory of grammatical function changing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Beavers, John
    2008 Scalar complexity and the structure of events. In Dölling, Johannes & Heyde-Zybatow, Tatjana & Schäfer, Martin (eds.), Event structures in linguistic form and interpretation, 245–265. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110925449.245
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110925449.245 [Google Scholar]
  4. Beavers, John & Koontz-Garboden, Andrew
    2012 Manner and result in the roots of verbal meaning. Linguistic Inquiry43(3). 331–369. 10.1162/LING_a_00093
     https://doi.org/10.1162/LING_a_00093 [Google Scholar]
  5. 2017 Result verbs, scalar change, and the typology of motion verbs. Language93(4). 842–876. 10.1353/lan.2017.0060
     https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2017.0060 [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen, Ping
    1988 Lun xiandai hanyu shijian xitong de sanyuan jiegou [On tripartite organization of the temporal system in Modern Chinese]. Zhongguo Yuwen [Studies of the Chinese Language] 61. 401–422.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Chierchia, Gennaro
    1998 Reference to kinds across languages. Natural Language Semantics6(4). 339–405. 10.1023/A:1008324218506
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008324218506 [Google Scholar]
  8. Cresswell, M. J.
    1976 The semantics of degree. In Partee, Barbara Hall (ed.), Montague grammar, 261–292. New York: Academic Press. 10.1016/B978‑0‑12‑545850‑4.50015‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-545850-4.50015-7 [Google Scholar]
  9. Dowty, David R.
    1979 Word meaning and Montague grammar: The semantics of verbs and times in generative semantics and in Montague’s PTQ. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Pub. Co. 10.1007/978‑94‑009‑9473‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9473-7 [Google Scholar]
  10. Fan, Ganliang
    1990 “Xiang, wang, chao” jiqi xiangguan de jieci [Xiang, wang, chao and their related prepositions]. Yantai Daxue Xuebao [Journal of Yantai University] 41. 84–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Fan, Jiyan
    1982 Lun jieci duanyu “zai + chusuo” [On the preposition phrase zai + locative]. Yuyan Yanjiu [Studies in Language and Linguistics] 11. 71–86.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Fang, Xujun
    2004 “V xiang……” he “V wang……” [“V xiang……” and “V wang……”]. Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies] 21. 17–24.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Feng, Shengli
    2003 Prosodically Constrained Postverbal PPs in Mandarin Chinese. Linguistics41(6). 1085–1122. 10.1515/ling.2003.035
     https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.2003.035 [Google Scholar]
  14. Goldberg, Adele
    2010 Verbs, constructions, and semantic frames. In Rappaport Hovav, Malka & Doron, Edit & Sichel, Ivy (eds.), Lexical semantics, syntax, and event structure, 39–58. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544325.003.0003
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544325.003.0003 [Google Scholar]
  15. Hay, Jennifer & Kennedy, Christopher & Levin, Beth
    1999 Scalar structure underlies telicity in “degree achievements.” In Mathews, Tanya & Strolovitch, Devon (eds.), Semantics and Linguistic Theory IX, 127–144. Ithaca: CLC Publications.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Huang, C.-T. James
    1982 Logical relations in Chinese and the theory of grammar. New York: Garland Pub.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Jackendoff, Ray
    1991 Parts and boundaries. Cognition411. 9–45. 10.1016/0010‑0277(91)90031‑X
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(91)90031-X [Google Scholar]
  18. Karlsson, Fred
    1983 Finnish grammar. Helsinki: WSOY.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Kearns, Kate
    2000 Semantics. New York: Palgrave.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Kennedy, Christopher
    1999 Gradable adjectives denote measure functions, not partial functions. Studies in the Linguistic Sciences29(1). 65–80.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. 2001 Polar opposition and the ontology of “degrees.”Linguistics and Philisophy24(1). 33–70. 10.1023/A:1005668525906
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005668525906 [Google Scholar]
  22. 2007 Vagueness and grammar: The semantics of relative and absolute gradable adjectives. Linguistics and Philosophy30(1). 1–45. 10.1007/s10988‑006‑9008‑0
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-006-9008-0 [Google Scholar]
  23. 2012 The composition of incremental change. In Demonte, Violeta & McNally, Louise (eds.), Telicity, change, and state: A cross-categorial view of event structure, 103–121. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693498.003.0004
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199693498.003.0004 [Google Scholar]
  24. Kennedy, Christopher & Levin, Beth
    2008 Measure of change: The adjectival core of degree achievements. In McNally, Louise & Kennedy, Christopher (eds.), Adjectives and adverbs: Syntax, semantics and discourse, 156–182. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Kennedy, Christopher & McNally, Louise
    2005 Scale structure, degree modification, and the semantics of gradable predicates. Language81(2). 345–381. 10.1353/lan.2005.0071
     https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2005.0071 [Google Scholar]
  26. Kimenyi, Alexandre
    1980 A relational grammar of Kinyarwanda. Berkeley: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Klipple, Elizabeth Mary
    1991 The aspectual nature of thematic relations: Locative and temporal phrases in English and Chinese. Cambridge: MIT. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Koenig, Jean-Pierre & Chief, Lian-cheng
    2008 Scalarity and state changes in Mandarin (and other languages). In Bonami, Olivier & Cabredo Hofherr, Patricia (eds.), Emprical issues in syntax and semantics 7, 241–262. (Paper presented atCSSP 2007, Paris, 4–6 October 2007.)
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Krifka, Manfred
    1989 Nominal reference, temporal constitution and quantification in event semantics. In Bartsch, Renate & van Benthem, J. F. A. K. & van Emde Boas, Peter (eds.), Semantics and contextual expression, 75–115. Dordrecht: Foris. 10.1515/9783110877335‑005
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110877335-005 [Google Scholar]
  30. 1992 Thematic relations as links between nominal reference and temporal constitution. In Sag, Ivan A. & Szabolcsi, Anna (eds.), Lexical matters, 29–53. Stanford: CSLI.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. 1998 The origins of telicity. In Rothstein, Susan (ed.), Events and grammar, 197–235. Dordrecht: Kluwer. 10.1007/978‑94‑011‑3969‑4_9
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3969-4_9 [Google Scholar]
  32. Lamarre, Christine
    2007 Cong quxiang fanchou de fangyan biaoshu kan “shumian hanyuzhong de butong cengci” de panding [Spoken and written patterns in Standard Mandarin motion events]. Chuugokugogaku [Bulletin of the Chinese Language Society of Japan] 2541. 51–73.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. 2013 When lexicalization meets grammaticalization: The development of “wang+path” adverbials in Northern Chinese. In Cao, Guangshun & Chappell, Hilary & Djamouri, Redouane & Wiebusch, Thekla (eds.), Breaking down the barriers: Interdisciplinary studies in Chinese linguistics and beyond, vol.21, 887–909. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Levin, Beth & Rappaport Hovav, Malka
    2010 Lexicalized scales and verbs of scalar change. (Paper presented at the46th Annual Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society, Chicago, 8–10 April 2010.)
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Li, Charles N. & Thompson, Sandra A.
    1981 Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar. Berkeley: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Li, Yen-hui Audrey
    1990 Order and constituency in Mandarin Chinese. Dordrecht: Kluwer. 10.1007/978‑94‑009‑1898‑6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1898-6 [Google Scholar]
  37. Lin, Jingxia
    2011 The encoding of motion events in Chinese: Multi-morpheme motion constructions. Stanford: Stanford University. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Lin, Jingxia & Peck, Jeeyoung
    2011 The syntax-semantics interface of multi-morpheme motion constructions in Chinese: An analysis based on hierarchical scalar structure. Studies in Language35(2). 337–379. 10.1075/sl.35.2.04lin
     https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.35.2.04lin [Google Scholar]
  39. 2016 Classification of Mandarin Chinese simple adjectives: A scale-based analysis of their quantitative denotations. Language and Linguistics17(6). 827–855. 10.1177/1606822X16649845
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1606822X16649845 [Google Scholar]
  40. Liu, Feng-Hsi
    2009 Aspect and the postverbal zai phrase in Mandarin Chinese. In Xing, Janet Zhiqun (ed.), Studies in Chinese linguistics: Functional approaches, 103–129. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Liu, Yuehua
    1998 Quxiang buyu tongshi [On directional complements]. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Lü, Shuxiang
    1980 Xiandai Hanyu babai ci [Eight hundred words in Modern Chinese]. Beijing: The Commercial Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Ma, Beijia
    2002 Jindai Hanyu jieci [Prepositions in pre-modern Chinese]. Beijing: Zhonghua Book Company.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Maienborn, Claudia
    2001 On the position and interpretation of locative modifiers. Natural Language Semantics9(2). 191–240. 10.1023/A:1012405607146
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012405607146 [Google Scholar]
  45. Nam, Seungho
    2005 Directional locatives in event structure : Asymmetry between goal and source. Eoneohag: Journal of the Linguistic Society of Korea431. 85–117.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. 2012 Syntax-semantics mapping of locative arguments. Proceedings of the 26th Pacific Asia Conference on Language, Information, and Computation, 473–480. Depok: Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Indonesia.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Paradis, Carita
    2001 Adjectives and boundedness. Cognitive Linguistics12(1). 47–65. 10.1515/cogl.12.1.47
     https://doi.org/10.1515/cogl.12.1.47 [Google Scholar]
  48. Peck, Jeeyoung
    2008 The positional variation of prepositional phrases in Chinese: Synchronic and diachronic perspectives. Stanford: Stanford University. (Doctoral dissertation.)
     [Google Scholar]
  49. 2011 Modification of external event structure by preverbal NPs denoting duration and iteration. Junggukeo Munhak Nonjip [The Journal of Chinese Language and Literature] 691. 189–210.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Peck, Jeeyoung & Lin, Jingxia & Sun, Chaofen
    2013 Aspectual classification of Mandarin Chinese verbs: A perspective of scale structure. Language and Linguistics14(4). 663–700.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Peck, Jeeyoung , & Lin, Jingxia & Sun, Chaofen
    2016 A scalar analysis of Chinese incremental theme VPs. In Eom, Ik-Sang & Zhang, Weijia (eds.), Language evolution and changes in Chinese (Journal of Chinese Linguistics Monograph Series 26), 216–246. Hong Kong: The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Piñón, Christopher J.
    1993 Paths and their names. In Beals, Katherine & Cooke, Gina & Kathman, David & Kita, Sataro & McCullough, Karl-Erik & Testen, David (eds.), Papers from the 29th Reginal Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society, vol.21, 287–303. Chicago: Chicago Linguistics Society.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Pustejovsky, James
    1991 The syntax of event structure. Cognition41(1–3). 47–81. 10.1016/0010‑0277(91)90032‑Y
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(91)90032-Y [Google Scholar]
  54. Rappaport Hovav, Malka
    2008 Lexicalized meaning and the internal structure of events. In Rothstein, Susan (ed.), Theoretical and crosslinguistic approaches to the semantics of aspect, 13–42. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/la.110.03hov
     https://doi.org/10.1075/la.110.03hov [Google Scholar]
  55. Rappaport Hovav, Malka & Levin, Beth
    2010 Reflections on manner/result complementarity. In Rappaport Hovav, Malka & Doron, Edit & Sichel, Ivy (eds.), Lexical semantics, syntax, and event structure, 21–38. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544325.003.0002
     https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199544325.003.0002 [Google Scholar]
  56. Rotstein, Carmen & Winter, Yoad
    2004 Total adjectives vs. partial adjectives: Scale structure and higher-order modifiers. Natural Language Semantics12(3). 259–288. 10.1023/B:NALS.0000034517.56898.9a
     https://doi.org/10.1023/B:NALS.0000034517.56898.9a [Google Scholar]
  57. Sun, Chaofen & Givón, Talmy
    1985 On the so-called SOV order in Mandarin Chinese: A quantified text study and its implications. Language611. 329–351. 10.2307/414148
     https://doi.org/10.2307/414148 [Google Scholar]
  58. Tai, James H-Y.
    1975 On two functions of place adverbials in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of Chinese Linguistics31. 154–179.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. 1984 Verbs and times in Chinese: Vendler’s four categories. In Testen, David & Mishra, Veena & Drogo, Joseph (eds.), Papers from the Parasession on Lexical Semantics, 289–296. Chicago: Chicago Linguistics Society.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. 2011 Zai lun shijian shunxu yuanze [On the temporal sequence principle again]. In Cui, Xiliang (ed.), Renzhi yufa yu duiwai Hanyu jiaoxue lunji [Collection of cognitive grammar and teaching Chinese as a second language], 65–85. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Talmy, Leonard
    1985 Lexicalization patterns: Semantic structure in lexical forms. In Shopen, Timothy (ed.), Language typology and syntactic description, vol.31, 57–149. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. 2000 Toward a cognitive semantics: Typology and process in concept structuring, vol.21. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Tang, Zhengda & Lamarre, Christine
    2007 A contrastive study of the linguistic encoding of motion events in Standard Chinese and in the Guanzhong dialect of Mandarin (Shaanxi). Bulletin of Chinese Linguistics2(1). 135–168. 10.1163/2405478X‑90000028
     https://doi.org/10.1163/2405478X-90000028 [Google Scholar]
  64. Teng, Shouxin
    1985 Hanyu dongci de shijian jiegou [The temporal structure of Chinese verbs]. Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies] 41. 7–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  65. Tenny, Carol
    1994 Aspectual roles and the syntax-semantics interface. Dordrecht: Kluwer. 10.1007/978‑94‑011‑1150‑8
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1150-8 [Google Scholar]
  66. Tham, Shiao Wei
    2013 When motion and location yield direction: The case of Mandarin. In Cathcart, Chundra & Kang, Shinae & Sandy, Clare S. (eds.), Proceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, 344–358. Berkeley: Berkeley Linguistics Society.
     [Google Scholar]
  67. Vendler, Zeno
    1957 Verbs and times. The Philosophical Review66(2). 143–160. 10.2307/2182371
     https://doi.org/10.2307/2182371 [Google Scholar]
  68. Wang, Huan
    1980 Zai shuoshuo zai [On zai again]. Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies] 31. 25–29.
     [Google Scholar]
  69. Wang, Xiaoxi
    2004 Weishenme buneng shuo “rengwang dishang” [Why the phrase “rengwang dishang” unacceptable]. Hanyu Xuexi [Chinese Language Learning] 41. 76–80.
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Wechsler, Stephen & Lee, Yae-Sheik
    1996 The domain of direct case assignment. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory14(3). 629–664. 10.1007/BF00133600
     https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00133600 [Google Scholar]
  71. Xiao, Richard & McEnery, Tony
    2004 Aspect in Mandarin Chinese: A corpus-based study. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 10.1075/slcs.73
     https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.73 [Google Scholar]
  72. Xun, Endong & Rao, Gaoqi & Xiao, Xiaoyue & Zang, Jiaojiao
    2016 Dashuju beijingxia BCC yuliaoku de yanzhi [The construction of the BCC Corpus in the age of big data]. Yuliaoku Yuyanxue [Corpus Linguistics] 3(1). 93–109.
     [Google Scholar]
  73. Yiu, Carine Yuk-man
    2014 Typology of word order in Chinese dialects: Revisiting the classification of Min. Language and Linguistics15(4). 539–573. 10.1177/1606822X14532052
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1606822X14532052 [Google Scholar]
  74. Zhao, Xin
    2002 Biaoshi fangxiang de “xiang, chao, wang” [An analysis of differences between xiang, chao, and wang]. Peixun yu Yanjiu: Hubei Jiaoyu Xueyuan Xuebao [Training and Research Journal of Hubei College of Education] 19(4). 21–23.
     [Google Scholar]
  75. Zhu, Dexi
    1981 “Zai heibanshang xiezi” ji xiangguan jushi [“Zai heibanshagn xiezi” and related structures]. Yuyan Jiaoxue yu Yanjiu [Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies] 11. 4–18.
     [Google Scholar]
  76. Zwart, Jan-Wouter
    2005 A note on functional adpositions. In Broekhuis, Hans & Corver, Norbert & Huijbregts, Riny & Kleinhenz, Ursula & Koster, Jan (eds.). Organizing grammar: Linguistic studies in honor of Henk Van Riemsdijk, 689–695. Berlin: Moutaon de Gruyter.
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
Loading
Semantic constraint on preposition incorporation of postverbal locative PPs in Mandarin Chinese
Language and Linguistics 20, 85 (2019); https://doi.org/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00030.pec
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): added argument; event delimiter; internal adjunct; postverbal locative PP; preposition incorporation; result; scale; word order

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