The Left Periphery of Nominal Expressions: Perspective Phrase in Mandarin Chinese

漢語使用詞素「前」，以「前＋數量詞＋量詞＋名詞」，也就是「前三位英國首相」的形式表達英語’the first three prime ministers’的語意。此結構為直示表達語（deictic expression），可表達「絕對觀點」與「相對觀點」兩種語意。我假設「前」帶有「觀點特徵」（[Perspective] feature），引介「觀點變數」（Point-of-View variable），此變數受說話者或內在主角（internal protagonist）所約束，分別產生「相對語意」與「絕對語意」。此分析證明名詞組與句子結構平行，皆可投射與篇章相關的句法結構，即「觀點詞組」（Perspective Phrase）。

關鍵字

名詞組左緣；直示性表達語；左緣結構；觀點詞組

並列摘要

Mandarin Chinese utilizes the morpheme ＂qian＂ ’front’ in the [＂qian＂ + Num + Cl + N] sequence (henceforth the ＂qian＂ phrase) to express the counterpart of the English phrase ＂the first three prime ministers＂. The ＂qian＂ phrase is a deictic expression which may assume two different readings expressing ’absolute’ and ’relative’ points of view. I therefore argue that ＂qian＂ possesses a [Perspective] feature which introduces a Point-of-View variable (henceforth POV), which may be bound by the speaker or by an internal protagonist. If the POV variable is bound by the speaker, it results in a relative reading; if it is bound by an internal protagonist, it returns an absolute reading. This analysis suggests that nominal phrases are parallel to clauses in having a syntactic projection with pragmatically relevant features (i.e. the Perspective Phrase).

並列關鍵字

DP periphery ； deictic ； left periphery ； perspective phrase

參考文獻

Aboh, Enoch Oladé(2010).Information structuring begins with the numeration.An International Journal of Theoretical Linguistics.2(1),12-42.

Google Scholar

Everaert, Martin(ed.),Van Riemsdijk, Henk(ed.),Goedemans, Rob(ed.),Hollebrandse, Bart(ed.)(2006).The Blackwell Companion to Syntax.Malden Mass:Blackwell.