Chinese Language and Discourse - Volume 16, Issue 2, 2025

Abstract

This paper examines the pragmatic functions of the pragmatic marker (pm, cf. Fraser 2009) jiushi in Chinese and further categorizes its functions as a discourse marker (dm) indicating elaboration and contrast, and a discourse management marker (dmm) signaling topic establishment, hesitation and self-repair. Previous research (cf. Zhang 2002) suggests that the development of jiushi involves a progression of meaning changes that were first subjectified, then textualized and eventually inter-subjectified. This paper, however, taking a constructional point of view argues that when jiushi is constructionalized into a conjunct, it automatically inherits from the pre-existing conjunct schema the subjective, textual, and intersubjective properties. (Inter)ubjective properties are increased when jiushi is further constructionalized into a pm. Such an analysis argues that the textual, subjective, and intersubjective qualities are independent, and each may in principle shift (or not) at any moment/order and characterizes the development of procedural structures without placing the diachronic concepts on a cline.

Abstract

The “degree adverb-adjective” structure is a common means of expressing degree in Chinese and has been extensively studied in other languages. Therefore, this structure provides an ideal focus for examining the effects of boundedness and ordering on the configurational harmony of scalar collocations in Chinese. This study analyzes experimental data from Chinese native speakers to investigate their usage of the “degree adverb-adjective” structure and the factors affecting the configuration of the “degree adverb-adjective” structure. The results indicate that most experimental items were affected by the scalar degree of the collocating adjectives and adverbs. Furthermore, Chinese native speakers’ inferences regarding the “degree adverb-adjective” structure are influenced by the semantic constraints of the degree adverbs, which affect their collocative potential with adjectives with adjectives. Context is also a significant factor influencing the collocations in terms of the standard shift of the predicate, thereby enabling adjectives to express different scales in varying contexts.

Abstract

This study examines how teachers employ the Chinese manner demonstrative, zheyang(zi) ‘like this; this way,’ to direct students’ attention toward their embodied actions during instructional demonstrations. Data consists of 84 cases from 12.5 hours of videotaped interaction in a cooking class in Taiwan. Drawing on interactional linguistics, the study explicates the distinct interactional imports of zheyang(zi) when used (a) before, (b) after, (c) concurrently with, or (d) during a continuous demonstrated action, analyzing its linguistic structure, multimodal configuration, and sequential positioning. The multimodal analysis reveals how the design of zheyang(zi)-marking instruction reflects teachers’ orientation toward the progressivity and materiality of a demonstrative activity and how gaze shows participants’ understanding of zheyang(zi). By examining the interplay between grammar, embodiment, and material transformations, the study contributes to our understanding of the reflexive relationship between grammar choices and activity context.

Abstract

Identifiability, a universal semantic notion for referential interpretation, is realized differently across languages. While many languages encode identifiability via morphosyntactic definiteness (e.g., articles the and a/an in English), Mandarin lacks overt (in)definite articles and instead relies on alternative mechanisms to achieve similar meanings. This study examines how Mandarin speakers navigate identifiability, specifically focusing on two primary nominal strategies: bare nouns and demonstrative descriptions. A category judgment and forced-choice task were conducted to explore how Mandarin speakers use these forms in four types of contexts. Findings indicate that, although both bare nouns and demonstratives are acceptable for denoting anaphorically identifiable referents in Mandarin, speakers show a clear preference for demonstrative descriptions. This preference diverges from English, where the definite article (the) is generally favored over demonstratives (that) in comparable contexts. This contrast underscores inherent semantic distinctions between article-languages and article-less languages. It contributes to our broader understanding of identifiability expression cross-linguistically.

Abstract

In current scholarly investigations of E-commerce live streaming discourse, it is noteworthy that the datasets procured are overwhelmingly sourced from the realm of Top-tier E-commerce live streaming. In contrast, data pertaining to other categories remains notably underrepresented. This observation presents an intriguing avenue for exploration within the academic domain. This study introduces the novel concept of ‘Streamer Discourse Density’. Focusing on Douyin, the leading giant in the e-commerce platform sphere, our research delves into the top three product categories and systematically compares discourse across Top-tier, Shoulder-Tier, Mid-Tier, Nano-Tier, and Bottom-Tier streams. A comparative analysis is conducted, highlighting the significance of Top-tier E-commerce live streaming data. What is more is that the paper also innovates a quantitative formula as another core linguistic contribution, Streamer Discourse Density, for future scholars and practitioners to better investigate the field of E-commerce live streaming.

This article reviews 《汉语句法的语用属性》978-7-100-20931-1

This article reviews Language and Gesture in Chinese Conversation: Bǐshǒu-shuōhuà

This article reviews 《互动视角下的汉语口语语法研究》978-7-5227-1276-5