Cover not available
Article published In:
International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Vol. 9:2 (2022) ► pp.232–265

The idiosyncratic preposition zai in Mandarin Chinese and differential argument marking

| National Chiayi University

In this paper, I focus on the Mandarin spatial preposition zai (‘at’), which can appear in the VP domain, like other spatial prepositions, but which can also appear in the TP domain, where it’s presence or absence is sensitive to the animacy and definiteness properties of its object. I argue that zai’s distribution and behavior in the TP domain is expected if it functions as a differential argument marker triggered by internal topicalization of its object. Implications of the current analysis for the internal structure of spatial PPs are also considered.

Keywords: preposition, TP domain, VP domain, differential argument marking, localizer
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Spatial PPs in general
    • 2.1The distributions
    • 2.2More about zai (‘at’)
  • 3.Toward a solution
    • 3.1A previous proposal
    • 3.2Differential argument marking
    • 3.3DAM and information structure
  • 4.The structure of spatial PPs
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 6 December 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.21003.kuo
References
Abels, K.
(2003) Successive Cyclicity, Anti-Locality, and Adposition Stranding. [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation]. University of Connecticut, Storrs.
Bossong, G.
(1982) Der präpositionale Akkusativ im Sardischen. In O. Winkelmann & M. Braisch (Eds.), Festschrift für Johannes Hubschmid zum 65. Geburtstag (pp. 579–599). Francke.Google Scholar
(1985) Differentielle Objektmarkierung in den neuiranischen Sprachen. Narr.Google Scholar
Bowers, J.
(2002) Transitivity. Linguistic Inquiry, 33(2), 183–224. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Croft, W.
(2003) Typology and universals. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Dabir-Moghaddam, M.
(1992) On the (in)dependence of syntax and pragmatics: Evidence from the postposition -rā in Persian. In D. Stein (Ed.), Cooperating with written texts: The pragmatics and comprehension of written texts (pp. 549–573). Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dalrymple, M. & Nikolaeva, I.
(2011) Objects and information structure. Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Djamouri, R., Paul, W., & Whitman, J.
(2013) Postpositions vs. prepositions in Mandarin Chinese: The articulation of disharmony. In T. Biberauer & M. Sheehan (Eds.), Theoretical approaches to disharmony word order (pp. 74–105). Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ernst, T.
(1988) Chinese postpositions – Again. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 16 (2), 219–244.Google Scholar
(1995) Negation in Mandarin Chinese. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, 13 (4), 665–707. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Escandell-Vidal, M. V.
(2009) Differential object marking and topicality: The case of Balearic Catalan. Studies in Language, 33 (4), 832–884. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gardani, F.
(2015) Animacy-controlled phenomena in Italo-Romance. Talk given in Linguistisches Kolloquium, Institut für Romanistik, Universität Wien.
Holmberg, A.
(2016) The Syntax of Yes and No. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hsu, Y.-Y.
(2005) The Syntactic Structure and Pedagogical Grammar of Modals in Mandarin Chinese [Unpublished master’s thesis]. National Taiwan Normal University.
Huang, C.-T. J.
(2010) Lexical decomposition, silent categories, and the localizer phrase. Yuyanxue Luncong, 39 1, 86–122.Google Scholar
Huang, C.-T. J., Li, Y.-H. A., & Li, Y.
(2009) The Syntax of Chinese. Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Iemmolo, G.
(2010) Topicality and differential object marking. Evidence from Romance and beyond. Studies in Language, 34(2). 239–272. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kuo, P.
(2010) Transitivity and the BA Construction. Taiwan Journal of Linguistics, 8 (1), 95–128.Google Scholar
(2020) Topicality and differential object marking in Mandarin Chinese: Identity and Variety in an array of structures. In A. Bárány & L. Kalin (Eds.), Case, agreement, and their interactions: New Perspectives on differential argument marking, (pp. 269–300). De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Laca, B.
(1987) Sobre el uso del acusativo preposicional en español. In C. Pensado (Ed.), El complemento directo preposicional (pp. 61–91). Visor. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Larson, R. K.
(1985) Bare-NP adverbs. Linguistic Inquiry 16 1, 595–621.Google Scholar
Li, C. N. & Thompson, S. A.
(1981) Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar. University of California Press.Google Scholar
Li, Y.-H. A.
(1990) Order and Constituency in Mandarin Chinese. Kluwer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2006) Chinese Ba . In M. Everaert, & H. van Riemsdik (Eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Syntax, Vol. 1 (pp. 374–468). Blackwell. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2017) Review article of Waltraud Paul’s New Perspectives on Chinese Syntax (2015). Glossa: a journal of general linguistics, 1 (1), 1–17.Google Scholar
Liu, F.-H.
(1998) A clitic analysis of locative particles. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 26 (1), 48–70.Google Scholar
Liu, Y., Pan, W. & Gu, W.
(1996) Modern Chinese Grammar for Teachers of Chinese as a Second Language & Advanced Learners of Modern Chinese. Shita Shu Yuan.Google Scholar
Lobeck, A.
(1990) Functional heads as proper governors. In J. Carter, D. Rose-Marie, B. Philip, & T. Sherer (Eds.), Proceedings of the North East Linguistic Society 20 1 (pp. 348–362). GLSA, University of Massachusetts.Google Scholar
McCawley, J. D.
(1992) Justifying part-of-speech assignments in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 20 (2), 211–245.Google Scholar
McGregor, W. B.
(1998) Optional ergative marking in Gooniyandi revisited: Implications to the theory of marking. Leuvens contributions in linguistics and philology, 87 (3–4), 491–571.Google Scholar
(2006) Focal and optional ergative marking in Warrwa (Kimberley, Western Australia). Lingua, 116 (4), 393–423. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Paris, M.-C.
(1979) Some aspects of the syntax and semantics of the lian…ye/dou construction in Mandarin. Cahiers de linguistique Asie orientale, 5 (1), 47–70.Google Scholar
Paul, W.
(2005) Low IP area and left periphery in Mandarin Chinese. Recherches linguistiques de Vincennes, 331, 111–134. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2015) New Perspectives on Chinese Syntax. De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Saito, M., & Murasugi, K.
(1990) N’-deletion in Japanese. In J. Ormazabal & C. Tenny (Eds.), University of Connecticut Working Papers in Linguistics 3 1 (pp. 87–107). Department of Linguistics, University of Connecticut.Google Scholar
Saito, M., Lin, T.-H. J. & Murasugi, K.
(2008) N’-ellipsis and the structure of noun phrases in Chinese and Japanese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 17 1, 247–271. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Seržant, I. A.
(2016) Nominative case in Baltic in the typological perspective. In A. Holvoet & N. Nau (Eds.), Valency, argument realization and grammatical relations in Baltic (pp. 137–198). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Svenonius, P.
(2007) Adpositions, particles and the arguments they introduce. In E. Reuland, T. Bhattacharya & G. Spathas (Eds.), Argument Structure (pp. 71–110). John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Takahashi, H.
(2020) Cross-Linguistic Variation in the Layered Structure of PP: Evidence from PP Internal NP-Ellipsis. In J. Garzonio & S. Rossi (Eds.), Variation in P: Comparative Approaches to Adpositional Phrases (pp. 191–217). Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tsai, W.-T. D.
(2015) On the Topography of Chinese Modals. In U. Shlonsky (Ed.), Beyond Functional Sequence (pp. 275–294). Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tsao, F.-F.
(1987) A topic-comment approach to the Ba construction. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 15 (1), 1–55.Google Scholar
van Bergen, G.
(2006) To ba or not to ba: Differential Object Marking in Chinese [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Radboud University.
von Heusinger, K. & Kaiser, G. A.
(2007) Differential object marking and the lexical semantics of verbs in Spanish. In G. A. Kaiser & M. Leonetti (Eds.), Proceedings of the Workshop “Definiteness, Specificity and Animacy in Ibero-Romance Languages” (pp. 83–109). Fachbereich Sprachwissenschaft.Google Scholar
(2011) Affectedness and differential object marking in Spanish. Morphology, 21 1, 593–617. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Witzlack-Makarevich, A. & Seržant, I. A.
(2018) Differential argument marking: Patterns of variation. In I. A. Seržant & A. Witzlack-Makarevich (Eds.), Diachrony of differential argument marking (pp. 1–40). Language Science Press.Google Scholar
Wu, H.-H. I.
(2015) The Fine structure of Spatial PPs in Mandarin Chinese. In W.-T. D. Tsai (Ed.), The Cartography of Chinese Syntax, The Cartography of Syntactic Structures, Volume 11 (pp. 209–234). Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Yang, N., & van Bergen, G.
(2007) Scrambled objects and case marking in Mandarin Chinese. Lingua, 117 (9), 1617–1653. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zhang, N. N.
(2002) Movement within a spatial phrase. In H. Cuyckens & G. Radden (Eds.), Perspectives on Prepositions, Linguisticsche Arbeiten, Band 454 1 (pp. 47–63). Niemeyer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2017) Adpositions. In R. Sybesma, W. Behr, Y. Gu, Z. Handel, C.-T. J. Huang, & J. Myers (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics, Vol. 1 (pp. 116–122). Brill.Google Scholar
Zou, K.
(1995) The syntax of the Chinese ba-construction and verb compounds: a morpho-syntactic analysis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of South California.