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Abstract

Abstract

Here we shall be exploring the associative plural () in Cantonese. The construction typically consists of a focal referent and an marker, , denoting ‘X and X’s associate(s)’, as in ‘Ming and his associate(s)’. The data are derived from corpora and internet sources. A grammaticality judgment test targeting native Cantonese speakers is conducted. There are five major facets to this project. (1) We shall explore the linguistic properties of the construction, which is semantically and structurally quite different from conjunctive coordination or inclusory constructions. (2) The marker has two forms, to wit = and . The former, however, seems odd and is rarely attested in modern Cantonese. Given that the marker can be either a bound form = or a free pronoun , it is analyzed as a clitic. (3) We argue that a focal referent can be a complex noun phrase, which can involve conjunctive coordination, implying that two focal referents are possible. (4) The construction is often used to introduce new referents to the discourse. It is also used after a topic shift, or to reintroduce referents when they have been mentioned before in a distant turn. (5) We argue that using the construction is associated with communicative efficiency. Even if a group of associates are covert, addressees can identify the relationship between the focal referent and the associates and potentially each referent without exhaustively listing them. High communicative efficiency is attained by reducing articulatory cost.

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/content/journals/10.1075/lali.00256.lui
2026-01-22
2026-02-14

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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Cantonese ; communicative efficiency ; morphosyntax ; associative plural ; typology ; apposition

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