Comparatives without Bi

• Main Authors: Su, Wan-Chi, 蘇琬淇
• Other Authors: Liu, Chen-Sheng
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/05970027819609898816

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 外國語文學系外國文學與語言學碩士班 === 99 === The adjectival comparative without bi has been studied for several years. However, seldom papers discuss about the verbal comparative without bi. This thesis is about the syntactic structures of the X Duo V (Y) D comparative in Mandarin and the X Ke V/A (Y) D comparative in Taiwanese. These two types of comparatives without bi have similar properties with the X A (Y) D comparative in Mandarin (Liu, 2007). More specifically, there are two nominal complements contained in comparatives without bi: a referential NP functioning as the standard of comparison and a MP/DP functioning as the differential. Furthermore, the standard of comparison is optional, but the differential is obligatorily required. However, previous studies, including C.C. Chao (2005) and M. Xiang (2005), don’t explain why the standard is optional and the differential is obligatory. C. S. Liu (2007) claims that the adjective has been moved and incorporated into a covert weak comparative morpheme (i.e. the covert verbal suffix -guo2). Since the semantic content of -guo2 is bleached, the covert comparative morpheme lost the ability to license the interval argument of the adjective. Thus, the differential is necessary to restrict the interval argument of the adjective. In this thesis, I proposed that the morpheme duo “exceed” and ke “exceed” are verbs, unlike a verbal suffix like guo2, because they are the semantic nucleus to form the comparatives. Therefore, the verb or the adjective behind duo/ke has no motivation to raise and to merge with duo/ke. The movement may cause problems about word ordering and arguments selecting. Based on Larson’s (1988) VP-shell and C. T. Huang’s (2006) V-de construction, I consider the comparative morpheme duo “exceed” in Mandarin and ke “exceed” in Taiwanese to be the main verb expressing the surpassing meaning, and the verb/adjective behind duo/ke is a manner of the main event. The verb/adjective behind duo/ke merges with duo/ke in the lexicon to be a word first, and then they are moved to a light verb EXCEED for feature checking to form the comparative construction. Like the unaccusative verb lai “come”, the verb duo/ke can take an optional location and an obligatory MP as its complements. Therefore, I argue that the standard of comparison is an extended location, so it is optional. The MP is obligatory in the unaccusative construction, and it is also necessary when functioning as the differential the comparative construction without bi. Moreover, Taiwanese ke may be deleted to form an X A Y D comparative construction, and both of the standard and the differential is obligatory. Base on T. H. Lin’s (2001) light verb theory, the structure may be a residue of different stratum of Archaic Chinese. The adjective is incorporated to a light verb EXCEED. Besides, the affective reading might be allowed in the verbal comparative is owing to the lexical meaning of the verb behind the comparative morpheme.