Light verb variations and varieties of Mandarin Chinese: Comparable corpus driven approaches to grammatical variations

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongzhi Xu ◽  
Menghan Jiang ◽  
Jingxia Lin ◽  
Chu-Ren Huang
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Taiwan Mandarin ◽  
Selectional Restrictions ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Deverbal Nominals ◽  
Classification And Clustering

AbstractThis article presents a classification and clustering based study to account for the differences among five Chinese light verbs (congshi, gao, jiayi, jinxing, and zuo) as well as their variations in Mainland China Mandarin (ML) and Taiwan Mandarin (TW). Based on 13 linguistic features, both competition and co-development of these light verbs are studied in terms of their distinct and shared collocates. The proposed method discovers significant new grammatical differences in addition to confirming previously reported ones. Most significant discoveries include selectional restrictions differentiating deverbal nominals and event nouns, and degrees of transitivity of VO compounds. We also find that most variations between Mainland China Mandarin and Taiwan Mandarin are in fact differences in tendencies or preferences in contexts of usage of shared grammatical rules.

Annotation and Classification of Light Verbs and Light Verb Variations in Mandarin Chinese

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxia Lin ◽  
Hongzhi Xu ◽  
Menghan JIANG ◽  
Chu-Ren Huang
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Light Verb

scholarly journals A Morphosyntactic Analysis of Patient-Subject Constructions in Chinese

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-71
Author(s):  
Changsong Wang ◽  
Mingming Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Exact Nature ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Change Of State ◽  
Adverbial Modification ◽  
Main Verb ◽  
The Right ◽  
Morphosyntactic Analysis ◽  
Morphological Merger ◽  
Right Order

AbstractThe exact nature and derivation of patient-subject constructions (PSC) in Chinese are still at dispute in literature. Based on the restriction of manner adverbial modification and the nonexistence of the manner reading of zenme ‘how’ observed in Chinese PSC, a morphosyntactic analysis has been provided. We argue that the seeming action verb V in PSC is not a real main verb, but a verbal root to be introduced into the derivation after syntax via external morphological merger. The real main verb of PSC in syntax is a covert light verb ∅BEC, which selects a nominal phrase (NP) as its specifier (Spec) and a resultative phrase (RP) as its complement. BECP is further selected by an aspect (Asp) head le. To satisfy the extended projection principle (EPP), the NP at [Spec, BECP] moves to the [Spec, TP] in syntax. After syntax, the resultative (R) head-moves to ∅BEC at the phonological form (PF) to satisfy the phonological requirement of ∅BEC, forming R-∅BEC; then, a bare verbal root merges with R-∅BEC at PF to denote the manner of the change of state. Due to the phonological requirement of le, V-R-∅BEC head-moves to le, producing the right order of PSC. The two elided forms of PSC can be derived similarly. This research suggests that covert light verbs and morphology may play an interactive role in the derivation of some “typical” constructions in Chinese.

Raising Children in Cantonese, English, and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) Within Non-Trilingual Families

2020 ◽  
pp. 137-152
Author(s):  
Yanis Yin Lam Chan ◽  
Cristina Díaz Martín
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Cultural Background ◽  
Raising Children

This chapter explores trilingual teaching in Hong Kong, a city where the ‘trilingual and biliterate' policy was officially enacted for more than two decades. A brief introduction of Hong Kong's language climate was illustrated to provide a clearer idea why trilingualism is a significant topic that should be explored. The two purposes of this study are to understand more about how non-trilingual parents raise their trilingual children and to compare the findings between families of different socioeconomic and cultural background. Case studies were conducted with four families: two bilingual local families, one bilingual family from mainland China, and one monolingual family from Nepal. The work provides viewpoints regarding the motivation, attitude, expectations, and strategies of these four families in raising trilingual children in Hong Kong.

scholarly journals Pseudocoordination with posture verbs in Mainland Scandinavian: A grammaticalized progressive construction?

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (01) ◽  
pp. 87-110
Author(s):  
Helge Lødrup
Keyword(s):  
Light Verbs ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
New Evidence

AbstractPseudocoordination with posture verbs in Mainland Scandinavian (e.g. the Norwegian Han sitter og arbeider ‘he sits and works’) is traditionally considered a grammaticalized progressive construction. The posture verb is said to have a bleached meaning, and to have the grammatical status of an auxiliary or a light verb. In recent years, some researchers have expressed doubt about this view. In this article, I argue that the traditional arguments for grammaticalization do not hold. However, I also give new evidence for early grammaticalization. Posture verbs can to some extent be used as light verbs in sentences such as Kebab må sittes og nytes ‘kebab must sit.pass and enjoy.pass’, which have never been discussed in connection with grammaticalization. Finally, I argue that pseudocoordination with posture verbs should not be seen as progressive, but rather as a locational (or situative) construction.

Classification of regional and genre varieties of Chinese: A correspondence analysis approach based on comparable balanced corpora

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 613-640
Author(s):  
Renkui Hou ◽  
Chu-Ren Huang
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Text Classification ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Length Distribution ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Dynamic Features ◽  
Power Functions

AbstractThis paper proposes a robust text classification and correspondence analysis approach to identification of similar languages. In particular, we propose to use the readily available information of clauses and word length distribution to model similar languages. The modeling and classification are based on the hypothesis that languages are self-adaptive complex systems and hence can be classified by dynamic features describing the system, especially in terms of distributional relations of constituents of a system. For similar languages whose grammatical differences are often subtle, classification based on dynamic system features should be more effective. To test this hypothesis, we considered both regional and genre varieties of Mandarin Chinese for classification. The data are extracted from two comparable balanced corpora to minimize possible confounding factors. The two corpora are the Sinica Corpus from Taiwan and the Lancaster Corpus of Mandarin Chinese from Mainland China, and the two genres are reportage and review. Our text classification and correspondence analysis results show that the linguistically felicitous two-level constituency model combining power functions between word and clauses effectively classifies the two varieties of Chinese for both genres. In addition, we found that genres do have compounding effect on classification of regional varieties. In particular, reportage in two varieties is more likely to be classified than review, corroborating the complex system view of language variations. That is, language variations and changes typically do not take place evenly across the board for the complete language system. This further enhances our hypothesis that dynamic complex system features, such as the power functions captured by the Menzerath–Altmann law, provide effective models in classifications of similar languages.

The syntax of argument structure: Evidence from Italian complex predicates

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAFFAELLA FOLLI ◽  
HEIDI HARLEY
Keyword(s):  
Argument Structure ◽  
Complex Predicates ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Syntactic Approach ◽  
The Subject

This paper provides an analysis of Italian complex predicates formed by combining a feminine nominalization in -ata and one of three light verbs: fare ‘make’, dare ‘give’ and prendere ‘take’. We show that the constraints governing the choice of light verb follow from a syntactic approach to argument structure, and that several interpretive differences between complex and simplex predicates formed from the same verb root can be accounted for in a compositional, bottom–up approach. These differences include variation in creation vs. affected interpretations of Theme objects, implications concerning the size of the event described, the (un)availability of a passive alternant, and the agentivity or lack thereof of the subject argument.

The diachrony of light and auxiliary verbs in Indo-Aryan

Diachronica ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Slade
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Light Verbs ◽  
Auxiliary Verbs ◽  
Light Verb Constructions ◽  
Light Verb ◽  
Verb Constructions ◽  
Compound Verb

This study examines the historical development of light verbs in Indo-Aryan. I investigate the origins of the modern Indo-Aryan compound verb construction, and compare this construction with other light verb constructions in Indo-Aryan. Examination of the antecedents of the Indo-Aryan compound verb construction alongside other Indo-Aryan light verb constructions, combined with analysis of lexical and morphosyntactic differences between the compound verb systems of two Indo-Aryan languages (Hindi and Nepali), demonstrate that light verbs are not a stable or unchanging part of grammar, but rather undergo a variety of changes, including reanalysis as tense/aspect auxiliaries.

scholarly journals Singapore Mandarin Chinese

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-135
Author(s):  
Jingxia Lin ◽  
Yong Kang Khoo
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Major Contributor ◽  
C Language ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
Evaluation Of Data ◽  
A Current

Abstract Given the historical and linguistic contexts of Singapore, it is both theoretically and practically significant to study Singapore Mandarin (SM), an important member of Global Chinese. This paper aims to present a relatively comprehensive linguistic picture of SM by overviewing current studies, particularly on the variations that distinguish SM from other Mandarin varieties, and to serve as a reference for future studies on SM. This paper notes that (a) current studies have often provided general descriptions of the variations, but less on individual variations that may lead to more theoretical discussions; (b) the studies on SM are primarily based on comparisons with Mainland China Mandarin; (c) language contact has been taken as the major contributor of the variation in SM, whereas other factors are often neglected; and (d) corpora with SM data are comparatively less developed and the evaluation of data has remained largely in descriptive statistics.

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