On the Excessive Construction in Mandarin Chinese

論漢語中的過量結構

葉瑞娟(Jui-Chuan Yeh)

《Concentric： Studies in Linguistics》 32卷2期 (2006/07) Pp. 93-118

https://doi.org/10.6241/concentric.ling.200607_32(2).0005

摘要

本文以構式語法的架構來探討漢語中的過量結構「V他個N」。鑒於其句法和語意的特殊性，本文主張過量結構不歸屬於漢語中其它的任何結構，而應該被視為是一個獨立的結構。就句法上而言，過量結構必須由一個非指稱性的「他」後接一個不定名詞組（包含數詞－類別詞－（名詞））或一個形容詞補語；就語意上而言，過量結構只允許有意志性的施事者，並描述一個有界的情況。本結構的結構意義是「超過一個隱性的標準」，而非一般所認為的「使（人）滿足」，我們認為這層意義來自於「他」，而這個結構的發展也受限於「他」原本的詞彙意義。構式語法的的優點在於可以讓語言使用者以有系統的方式將原本熟悉的結構應用在新的語境中，並合理的解釋某些新「動詞」的用法。

關鍵字

V他個N ； 過量結構 ； 構式語法 ； 非指稱性的他 ； 個

並列摘要

This paper explores the excessive construction, formally represented as ”V ta ge N”, in Mandarin Chinese in terms of construction grammar. In view of its syntactic and semantic peculiarities, the excessive construction cannot be identified with any of the established constructions in the grammar. Rather, it is argued to represent a new type. Syntactically, the excessive construction demands a non-referential ta followed by an indefinite NP consisting of a numeral-classifier(-noun) sequence or by an adjectival complement. Semantically, the excessive construction allows only a volitional agent and denotes a telic situation. The constructional meaning of the excessive construction is postulated as 'above an implicit norm', instead of the generally recognized 'to one's satisfaction'. This connotation is assumed to derive from ta, whose original meaning constrains later semantic developments of the construction. The constructional analysis proposed in the paper allows language users to apply the familiar pattern to new contexts in principled ways, providing a motivated account of use with novel verbs.

並列關鍵字

V ta ge N ； the excessive construction ； construction grammar ； non-referential ta ； ge

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