The morphology of Chinese disyllabic verbs
With a close examination of the characteristics of Chinese monosyllables, i.e., the base morphemes that form the disyllabic verbs, this article discusses the morphological traits these characteristics bring to disyllabic compound verbs. The two distinctive characteristics of the Chinese monosyllables, namely, being morphologically independent and highly polysemous, give rise to unusual phenomena in disyllabic verbs, most representatively the headedness of coordinative compound verbs. The Chinese language not only has various possible forms of headedness, but also allows the same compound verbs to be both endocentric and exocentric.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Characteristics of monosyllables
- 2.1
Zì: The unique triad
- 2.2
Zì as lexeme
- 2.3
Zì as morpheme
- 2.4Roots and (bound) roots
- 3.Disyllabic verbs
- 3.1Classification
- 3.2Variant approach
- 4.Disyllabic compound verbs
- 4.1Coordinative compounds
- 4.2Non-coordinative compounds
- 4.3Modifier-head compounds
- 5.Headedness of disyllabic compound verbs
- 5.1Semantic criterion
- 5.2Varieties of head types
- 5.3Coexistence of endocentric and exocentric heads
- 6.Conclusion
- Notes
- Abbreviations
-
References
References
Barry, Anita K.
(
1998)
English Grammar: Language as Human Behavior. Prentice Hall.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Berk, Lynn M.
(
1999)
English Syntax: From Word to Discourse. Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Booij, Geert
(
2005)
The Grammar of Words. Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Chao, Yuen Ren
(
1968)
A Grammar of Spoken Chinese. University of California Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dong, Xiufang
(
2002)
Lun jufa jiegou de cihuihua [On the lexicalization of syntactic structure].
Yuyan yanjiu [
Linguistics Study] 2002(3), 56–65.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dressler, Wolfgang U.
(
2006)
Compound types. In
G. Libben and
G. Jarema (Eds.),
The Representation and Processing of Compound Words (pp. 23–44). Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Fu, Huaiqing
(
2001)
Goucifa yanjiu de yixie wenti [Issues on the study of word-formation]. In
Li, Rulong and
Su, Xinchun (Eds.),
Cihuixue lilun yu shijian [
Theory and Practice of Lexicology] (pp. 60–82). Commercial Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Haspelmath, Martin
(
2002)
Understanding Morphology. Arnold and Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Katamba, Francis
(
1993)
Morphology. St. Martin’s Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Li, Charles N., and Thompson, Sandra A.
(
1981)
Mandarin Chinese: A Function Reference Grammar. University of California Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lü, Shuxiang
(
1962)
Shuo ‘ziyou’ he ‘nianzhuo’ [On ‘free’ and ‘bound’].
Zhongguo Yuwen [
Studies of the Chinese Language] 1962(1), 41–49.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Norman, Jerry
(
1988)
Chinese. Cambridge University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Packard, Jerome L.
(
2000)
The Morphology of Chinese: A Linguistic and Cognitive Approach. Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Shen, Huaixing
(
1998)
Hanyu pianzhengshi jiegou tanwei [Preliminary inquire into Mandarin modifier-head word-formation].
Zhongguo Yuwen [
Studies of the Chinese Language] 1998(3), 189–194.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sproat, Richard, and Shih, Chilin
(
1996)
A corpus-based analysis of Mandarin nominal root compounds.
Journal of East Asian Linguistics Vol 51:49–71.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sun, Chaofen
(
2006)
Chinese: A Linguistic Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sun, Jianyi
(
2003)
Hanyu de zi, ci, cisu tanxi [Inquire and analysis on Chinese characters, words, and morphemes]. In
Ge, Benyi (Ed.),
Hanyu Cihuixue [
Chinese Lexicology] (pp. 121–248). Shandong University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Wang, Hongjun
(
2011)
Jiyu danzi de xiandai hanyu cifa yanjiu [
Character-based Study of Modern Chinese Morphology]. Commercial Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Williams, Edwin
(
1981)
On the notions ‘lexically related’ and ‘head of a word’.
Linguistic Inquiry 121:245–74.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Xu, Zhaohua
(
2003)
Shanggu hanyu cihuishi [
Lexical History of Ancient Chinese]. Commercial Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yang, Duanzhi
(
2003)
Hanyu de ciyi tanxi [Inquire and analysis on Chinese semantics]. In
Ge, Benyi (Ed.),
Hanyu Cihuixue [
Chinese Lexicology] (pp. 249–443). Shandong University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yang, Jichun
(
2007)
Hanyu fanyi fuci yanjiu [
Study of Chinese Disyllabic Antonyms]. Zhonghua Book Company.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yin, Binyong
(
1984)
Hanyu yusu de dingliang yanjiu [Quantitative study of Chinese morphemes].
Zhongguo Yuwen [
Studies of the Chinese Language] 1984(5), 338–347.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yin, Binyong, and Rohsenow, John S.
(
1997)
Modern Chinese Characters. Beijing: Sinolingua.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Yip, Po-ching
(
2000)
The Chinese Lexicon: A Comprehensive Survey. Routledge.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhang, Bo
(
1999)
Zuhe tonghua: ciyi yansheng de yizhong tujing [Syntagmatic assimilation: a way of semantic derivation].
Zhongguo Yuwen [
Studies of the Chinese Language] 1999(2), 129–136.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhang, Dengqi
(
1997)
Hanyu hecheng dongci de jiegou tedian [The structural traits of Chinese compound verbs].
Zhongguo Yuwen [
Studies of the Chinese Language] 1997(5), 336–38.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhang, Shoukang
(
1956)
Guanyu hanyu goucifa [On Chinese Word-formation]. In
Zhang, Zhigong (Ed.),
Yufa he yufa jiaoxue [
Grammar and Grammar Pedagogy] (pp. 90–113). People’s Education Publisher.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Zhou, Jian
(
2004)
Hanyu cihui jiegou lu [
On Chinese Lexical Structures]. Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by
Cited by 1 other publications
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 3 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.