The Syntax and Semantics of Yiqi in Mandarin Chinese

• Main Authors: Ou, Yuchen, 歐育辰
• Other Authors: Wu, Jiun-Shiung
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/52524745945951706439

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 語言學研究所 === 99 === This paper aims to investigate the semantics of yiqi in Mandarin. In this paper we examine what linguistic circumstances yiqi occurs in sentence, in addition to the semantics of yiqi. To know more about the behavior of yiqi, it is helpful that we can take cross-linguistic empirical evidence into consideration. We not only refer to English but also Taiwanese to try to give thorough analysis for yiqi in Mandarin. In order to make a complete analysis, some literature about together will be introduced (Lasersohn, 1990; Moltmann, 2004; Chuang, 2008; Wu, 2003). Yiqi in Chinese is slightly different from together in English with respecting of syntactic position and semantics. In English, together can classify into adnominal together and adverbial together based on Moltmann (2004), and as for yiqi in Chinese, Chuang (2008) claims that yiqi is a modifier which focuses on the temporal and spatial proximity reading. The collective reading is derived from the temporal and spatial proximity reading. Yiqi is not like the together which can be separated into two categories, because in Chinese, yiqi locates at the same position, which is between subject and predicate. As for the semantics of yiqi is not like what Chuang (2008) describes in his analysis as well. According to Chuang (2008), all the collective reading will include temporal and spatial proximity reading, but it is not the case in Chinese yiqi. We can see the following examples, (1) 這五位建築師一起設計出九件作品 Zhe wu wei jianzhushi yiqi shejichu jiujian zuopin. The five artsitects together design nine work ‘The five artsitects together design nine works.’ It is obvious that yiqi does not necessarily focus on the temporal or spatial proximity. In (1), five architects do not design the 9 works at the same time or at the same place. The reading is the number of the works that five architects have to design. I propose that yiqi has three distinct features, collective, temporal and spatial and when the different predicates appear with yiqi, it will have the different interpretations. In my point of view, I consider the predicate is the factor for the interpretation of yiqi sentences. Based on the empirical evidence, I classify the predicates into five types: collective predicate with same time and place, collective predicate without same time and place, cumulative predicate with same time and place, cumulative predicate without same time and place and distributive predicate. When yiqi co-occur with these predicates, it will express four specific semantics in sentence. The first one is collective with temporal and spatial proximity, the second one is collective without temporal and spatial proximity, the third one is temporal and spatial proximity, and the last one is temporal proximity. Moreover I propose a formal semantics of yiqi to explain the function of yiqi in sentence, which is yiqi as a sum individual to collectivize its subject in one sentence. Take example (2-5) to express my analysis. (2) 小美和小英一起合唱(collective with temporal and spatial proximity) Xiaomei han Xiaoying yiqi hechang Xiaomei and Xiaoying together chorus ‘Xiaomei and Xiaoying chorus songs together.’ (3) 三位畫家一起交出十一件作品(collective without temporal and spatial proximity san wei huajia yiqi jiaochu shiyi jian zuopin. three CL painter together hand in eleven CL works ‘Three painters hand in eleven works together.’ (4) 小明,小華,和小英一起吃晚餐(temporal and spatial proximity) Xiaoming ,Xiaohua, han Xiaoying yiqi chi wancan Xiaoming ,Xiaohua, and Xiaoying together have dinner ‘Xiaoming ,Xiaohua, and Xiaoying have dinner together.’ (5) 小美和小英一起懷孕了(temporal proximity) Xiaomei han Xiaoying yiqi huaiyun le Xiaomei and Xiaoying together pregnant Asp ‘Xiaomei and Xiaoying get pregnant together.’ To sum up, the study examines the syntactic position and semantics of yiqi in Mandarin. There are three restrictions for yiqi in syntactic structure: Plural Condition, Leftness Condition, and Locality Condition. The semantics of yiqi is a sum individual to collectivize its subject in one sentence.