Синтаксис и семантика постглагольной морфемы дяо (掉) . Hui-wen Cheng. The Syntax and Semantics of Post-verbal Diao (掉)

81 Pages·00.379 MB·Chinese-English

by  Чжэн Хуэйвэнь

國立政治大學語言學研究所碩士論文口試本
National Chengchi University
Graduate Institute of Linguistics
Master Thesis

指導教授：張郇慧 博士
Advisor: Dr. Hsun-huei Chang

「掉」在 V-掉結構中的語法與語意研究
The Syntax and Semantics of Post-verbal Diao

研究生：鄭惠文 撰
Student: Hui-wen Cheng
中華民國九十三年七月
誌謝辭

終於到了寫致謝詞的時候了!回首這四年來的研究生生涯，發現這其實是一
段驚心動魄的旅程，一路上雖然充滿許多歡笑，但也曾面臨為數不少的挫折及困
難。能夠堅持到最後，固然是因為自己擁有決不低頭的韌性，然而，更重要的是
有一群師長親友在背後不斷督促鼓勵。藉由這篇誌謝辭，我要向他們表達我衷心
的謝意。
首先要感謝我的指導教授–張郇慧老師給我很大的寫作空間，讓我可以在論
文中恣意發揮天馬行空的想法；當我的思路遇到阻礙要求跟老師面談時，老師總
是很快的在她緊湊繁忙的行程中為我擠出時間，然後陪我一起腦力激盪，讓我終
於能夠完成這本個人風格十足的論文。接著我要感謝兩位口試委員–連金發老師
和賴惠玲老師。連老師在口試前後都熱心的提供參考文獻訊息，口試當天更是不
辭辛勞的一大早從新竹奔波來政大，口試中提出的精闢見解讓我有如醍醐灌頂，
對這本論文的幾句美言，更讓我找回喪失已久的信心。賴老師平日在路上與我偶
遇時，總會鼓勵我「論文慢慢寫，一定會寫完」；因為有她在計畫書口試時提出
的建議，才讓我有靈感寫出這整本論文，論文口試時她也再度提出許多有建設性
的意見，提升了這本論文的層次。還要感謝計畫書另一位口試委員–黃麗儀老師
為我的論文提出許多獨到的看法並熱心的一一為我詳細解說，使我獲益良多。
我會一頭栽入語言學的奇妙世界，最要感謝的是大學恩師–李臻儀老師。從
大學時領引我認識語言學至今，她對我在學業上的關心與幫助從未間斷；在我面
臨挫折和難題時，她總是毫不猶豫的對我伸出援手，有如一盞明燈，讓我免於陷
入徬徨無助的困境。所上的授課老師們也對於我在語言學上的學習功不可沒：蕭
宇超老師毫不吝惜的傳授治學態度與方法；何萬順老師讓我在輕鬆愉快的氣氛中
接觸句法學；黃瓊之老師開啟了我對語言習得的濃厚興趣；萬依萍老師讓我得以
一窺心理語言學及實驗音韻學的奧妙；詹惠珍老師教導我身為語言學家該有的恢
弘氣度。還有教授德文的馬信行老師讓我不只多會了一種語言，而且引發我對德
文學習的興趣。
再來要感謝我的一票好朋友：芝菁、瓊儀、瑞雪、淑婷、怡伶、明純、志堅、
巧婷、艾穎、儒佳、乙汝、佩芬、秦雯…等等。感謝他們在我就讀研究所期間所
給予的各式各樣幫助和支持鼓勵，因為有你們這群朋友，我的人生才不必踽踽獨
行，無論高興或難過都有人一起分享、分擔，因而讓快樂加倍、悲傷止步。還要
感謝系上的同學和學長姊、學弟妹願意無私的和我在學業上砥礪切磋，在生活上
相互照顧交流。尤其要感謝所上的助教–曾惠鈴學姊帶領我這個怕生的人快速融
iv
入所上的一切，並且隨時樂意提供各方面的協助，成功破除我對行政人員的恐懼
心理。值得感謝的還有我可愛的家教學生們：業航、瑋襄、盈吟、芷宇、又旗、
立雯。他們不但讓我在英文造詣上有教學相長的機會，而且為我的生活增添許多
樂趣。
最後，我要感謝我的父親–鄭芳明先生及母親–林銀環女士。他們無論在經
濟上或心理上都給予我最強而有力的支持，並且教導我許多待人處世的道理，讓
我能安然走完這一趟驚險萬分的旅程。還要感謝我的弟弟–又榮願意選擇回到南
部就學，幫忙照顧家裡；我的妹妹–又華時常從基隆跑來陪我玩樂、解悶。擁有
這些家人是我最大的無形資產及福氣。最後，僅以此拙作獻給呵護、疼愛我二十
七年的祖母–鄭貴春女士，以表達我無盡的追思及感念。
v
國 立 政 治 大 學 研 究 所 碩 士 論 文 提 要
研究所別: 語言學研究所
論文名稱:「掉」在 V-掉結構中的語法與語意研究
指導教授:張郇慧博士
研究生:鄭惠文
論文提要內容:(共一冊，一萬五千九百四十九字，分七章十七節)
本論文旨在探討「掉」出現在動詞後面時的語意內涵與語法地
位。我們認為當「掉」身為結果補語時，它的意思為「被往下移除」；
身為動相標誌時，意思為「被移除」；身為動貌標誌時，則標示起始
意。「掉」經常與及物和非作格動詞形成複合動詞：與靜態動詞、瞬
間動詞及達成動詞構成達成複合動詞，與動作動詞及完成動詞則構成
完成複合動詞。雖然 V-掉的論元結構經常是其前置動詞與「掉」之
論元結構的結合體，但在某些情況下「掉」可能會壓制前置動詞的論
元、幫 V-掉複合動詞增加新論元或先壓制前置動詞的論元再幫 V-掉
複合動詞增加新論元。最後，我們採用虛化的理論來解釋為何「掉」
具有多重語意及多重語法地位。由於「掉」符合 Hopper (1991)所提
出的虛化原則，因此我們相信「掉」的確正處在虛化的過程中。
viii
Abstract

There are two main questions about post-verbal diao we dealt with in the present
study: one is its meanings, and the other is its syntactic status. We argue that when
diao acts as a resultative complement, it means ‘to be removed in a downward
direction’, when it acts as a phase marker, it means ‘to be removed’, and when it acts
as an aspect marker, it bears a grammatical meaning indicating inchoative.
Post-verbal diao usually co-occurs with transitive and unaccusative verbs to form
compounds. When diao goes with State, Semelfactive and Achievement verbs, the
V-diao compounds will be Achievements, when diao goes with Activity and
Accomplishment verbs, the V-diao compounds will be Accomplishments. In most
cases, the argument structure of a V-diao compound is a composition of the argument
structure of the preceding verb and that of diao. However, diao will suppress the Goal
argument when co-occurring with three-place transactional verbs; it will create an
argument for the V-diao compound when the argument of the preceding verb and that
of diao are incompatible; it will suppress an argument of the preceding verb and
create a new one for the V-diao compound when occurring with verbs which have an
incremental theme.
Grammaticalization is taken to account for the polysemy and the multiple
syntactic status of post-verbal diao. Because except specialization, diao follows all of
the principles (i.e. Layering, Divergence, Persistence, and De-categorialization)
proposed by Hopper (1991), we suggest it is in the process of grammaticalization.
ix
Table of Contents

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………...iv
Chinese Abstract…………………………………………………………………….viii
English Abstract……………………………………………………………………..ix

Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………...………1
1.1 Motivation………………………………………………………………..…. 2
1.2 Research Question………………………………………………………..…. 2
1.3 The Organization of the Thesis……………………………………………... 4
Chapter 2 Literature Review…………………………………………………………. 6
2.1 V-V Complements…………………………………………………………... 6
2.1.1 Chao (1968)…………………………………………………………...6
2.1.2 Li &Thompson (1981)………………………………………………..7
2.1.3 Packard (2000)………………………………………………………..8
2.2 Three Types of Syntactic Status……………………………………………. 9
2.2.1 Resultative Complement……………………………………………...9
2.2.2 Phase Marker………………………………………………………...10
2.2.3 Aspect Marker………………………………………………………11
2.3 Previous Studies on Post-verbal Diao…………………………....……… 12
2.3.1 Pu (2000)………………………………………………………...…..12
2.3.2 Lu (2001)……………………………………………………….……13
2.3.3 Chen (2003)…………………………………………………….……15
Chapter 3 The Preceding Verbs………………………………………………………19
3.1 Transitive Verbs……………………………………………………………..19
3.2 Intransitive Verbs……………………………………………………………21
3.3 The Situation Type of the Preceding Verbs…………………………………24
vi
Chapter 4 Post-verbal Diao…………………………………………………………..30
4.1 The Functions of Diao in Situation Type…………………………………...30
4.2 The Semantic Content of Post-verbal Diao…………………………………35
4.3 The Syntactic Status of Post-verbal Diao…………………………………...37
Chapter 5 V-diao Compounds………………………………………………………..47
5.1 The Situation Type of V-diao compounds…………………………………..47
5.2 The Argument Structure of V-diao compounds……………………………..50
Chapter 6 Grammaticalization………………………………………………………..57
6.1 Theories of Grammaticalization……………………………………………57
6.2 Evidence of Grammaticalization……………………………………………59
6.3 The Cline of Post-verbal Diao………………………………………………63
Chapter 7 Conclusion………………………………………………………………...66
References………………………………………………………………………….70

vii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Mandarin Chinese is a language that has abundance of compounds. According to
the grammatical functions of their components, compounds can be labeled as nominal
compounds, verb-verb compounds, subject-predicate compounds, verb-object
compounds, and so on. Verb-verb compounds, because of their intriguing nature, have
attracted more attention than all the other types of compounds. More specifically, it is
the second elements of V-V compounds, such as shang ‘up’ (e.g. gan-shang ‘to catch
up’), xia ‘down’ (e.g. zuo-xia ‘to sit down’), lai ‘to come’ (e.g. hui-lai ‘to come back’),
qu ‘to go’ (e.g. hui-qu ‘to go back’), etc., that lure many linguists into the study of
them (e.g. Kimura 1984, Shi 1993, Huang and Chang 1996, Liu 2000).
Diao ‘to fall’, a morpheme which also can be the second element of V-V
compounds, though is often listed in the discussion of V-V compounds (e.g. Chao
1968, Cheng 1989, Cheng 1997, Li &Thompson 1981, Packard 2000, Tang 1999),
little investigation has focused on it. The reason why post-verbal diao has never been
intensively examined may result from its late appearance and its regional use in
Mandarin Chinese when compared to other second elements of V-V compounds. The
Scripta Sinica (a corpus of Chinese classics managed by Academia Sinica Computing
Center) shows that the post-verbal diao did not appear until Chin dynasty. Chao in A
Grammar of Spoken Chinese (1968) mentions, “ Forms like si diao le for si le ‘have
died off’ have been trying hard to become translation borrowing from Wu into
Mandarin, but so far they are limited to speakers of Mandarin whose first dialect was
Wu.” (p.466) Pu (2000) also reports that the post-verbal diao is used in colloquial
language for the southern people in Mainland China, but in literary language for the
northern ones.
1
2
1.1 Motivation
The frequency of the use of post-verbal diao in Taiwan Mandarin is rather high
and has a tendency of increase. According to Changyong Yuci Diaocha Baogaoshu [A
survey on frequently used words] (a book published by the Minister of Education),
post-verbal diao ranks as the 502nd frequently used suffix in 1995 but the 269th in
1998. Moreover, in most modern Chinese dictionaries, there would be an entry of
diao stating that it may follow a verb to be its complement and to represent the result
of action. These facts suggest it is time and it is necessary for us to study post-verbal
diao thoroughly.

1.2 Research Questions
Let us consider the following two sentences first:

(1) Ta ca-diao heiban shang de tuhua.
he wipe-DIAO blackboard on POSS drawing1
‘He wiped off the drawing from the blackboard.’

(2) Ta zheng ge ren dou sha-diao le.
he whole CL person all stun-DIAO LE
‘He was totally dumbfounded.’

For native speakers of Chinese, the meanings of diao in (1) and (2) are apparently
different: diao denotes “to be removed” in the former sentence, but an inchoative state
in the latter sentence. From these two sentences, we can detect that post-verbal diao
has various meanings, though modern Chinese dictionaries list only one entry. The

1 Some abbreviations are used in the Chinese sentence gloss in this thesis: DIAO for diao, POSS for
possessive, CL for classifier, LE for le, PROG for progressive, ASP for aspect, BA for ba, and PASS
for passive.
3
first question is about the versatility of the semantic content of post-verbal diao. We
are curious how many different meanings post-verbal diao may encode.
The second question we would like to discuss is the syntactic status of
post-verbal diao.2 Though many linguists have mentioned post-verbal diao when they
studied V-V compounds, they have listed it under different grammatical terms. For
instance, Chao (1968) refers to post-verbal diao while discussing directional
complements; Cheng (1989) takes it as an example of resultative complements while
in his later study (1997), a phase marker; Li &Thompson (1981) places it in the
category of phase type under resultative verb compounds; Packard (2000) regards it as
an attainment resultative. Based on our observation, post-verbal diao may have
different syntactic status. For example:

(3) Ta tui-diao naxie yingchou.
he decline-DIAO those social appointment
‘He declined those social appointments.’

(4) Ta tui-bu-diao naxie yingchou.
he decline-not-DIAO those social appointment
‘He could not decline those social appointments.’

(5) Pingguo lan-diao le.
apple rotten-DIAO LE
‘Apples were rotten.’

(6) * Pingguo lan-bu-diao.
apple rotten-not-DIAO

As these sentences show, some V-diao compounds like tui-diao ‘to decline’ in (3)

2 Syntactic status refers to directional complement, resultative complement, phase marker, and so on.