A Modular Account on Null Object Constructions in Mandarin Chinese

• Main Authors: Natasha Yu-hsin Huang, 黃郁欣
• Other Authors: Jen Ting
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/j24z33

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 英語學系 === 96 === This thesis proposes a modular account to examine null object constructions in Mandarin Chinese. We argue that null objects in Chinese need to be divided into referential and nonreferential. Referential null objects can be further divided into two types: variables and pros, while nonreferential null objects are null cognate objects. The modular account can distinguish the contributions of syntax, lexical semantics, and pragmatics to the interpretation of null objects; the issue then turns out to be simple and straightforward. The three syntactic types of null objects are mainly decided by on module and they may be further differentiated based on the varying contributions of verbal semantics and pragmatics. When null object is recovered by a topic (either overt or covert), which A’-binds the null object, other modules of the grammar make little contribution; this is reflected on the rigidity of interpretation of the null object. How is the interpretive choice made of null pronominals? We need to consider both Binding Principle B and pragmatics. Binding Principle B only regulates the null object being free with the GC. Following the Levinson’s (2000) recipient’s corollary of the I-principle, recipients will opt for the maximally specific interpretation. This means that in the context of a linguistic antecedent or a contextually salient referent, the recipient will assign coreference between those entities and the null objects. The null cognate object, whose semantic content is derived mainly from the lexical semantics of the verb, gives rise to the least specific interpretation. More specific interpretations are possible with the help of linguistic or extralinguistic contexts. In other words, hearers use everything available to make their interpretation maximally rich.