1887
Volume 24, Issue 4
  • ISSN 1606-822X
  • E-ISSN: 2309-5067

Abstract

Abstract

The Chinese string composed of { + verb + + } is a rare, unique, unproductive, informal usage which, to date, has remained virtually unexplored. The present paper attempts to sketch its pre-twelfth century evolution by analyzing examples collected from various sources, but now from sources digitalized by CBETA (). This paper begins by investigating the constituents in order to determine a core structure. It argues that and are not two discrete elements but one single unit, reanalyzed in a new formula, { + verb + } to replace the traditional notation { + verb + + }.

Regarding the evolution of this collocation, the paper periodizes four stages of development. (1) The earliest examples appear in the fifth century, and they are of the { + verb₁ + verb₂ (+ verb₃)} order, in which occupies either the second or third verbal slot. (2) Seventh century examples are showing signs of change, allowing, for the first time, an agent to be inserted between and the verb. (3) The eighth century witnesses a radical usage shift in which has been demoted to a SIFE (“Semantically Impoverished Functional Element”), resulting in a new passive order { + verb + SIFE}. (4) The evolution continues in the ninth through eleventh centuries, becoming more complex, though somewhat dormant. This paper thus contributes to discussion of an understudied and thorny topic: How to segment short strings of Chinese characters. A few guidelines are suggested, and it is noted that some strings consisting of “verb, , and ” have been wrongly dissected: {verb + + } must be rendered {verb + }.

Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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2023-09-14
2025-04-28
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Chinese passive; division; evolution; jiang; qu; strings; transcription; {bei + verb + jiangqu}
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