On the syntax of mirativity
Evidence from Mandarin Chinese
This chapter proposes a unified analysis of
Mandarin miratives in terms of their syntax and pragmatics. We
examine the rather curious behavior of sentential adverbs such as
yuanlai ‘turn out’ and zenme
‘how come’ in conjunction with the sentence final particle
a. Specifically, the construals in question
encode unexpectedness from the viewpoint of the speaker, as observed
in other languages with overt morphology. It is argued extensively
that the mirativity involved is syntactically represented by a
functional projection in the left periphery, i.e., Speech Act
Phrase. The evidence is drawn from the sentence-initial position of
yuanlai and zenme, as well as
their distribution in relation to evaluative adverbs and their
exclusion from certain embedded clauses. Furthermore, the
compatibility between Mandarin mirative expressions and
indicative/interrogative mood presents a strong case for the
separation of Force and Mood in cartographic terms.
Article outline
- 1.Setting the stage
- 2.Mirativity as a distinctive category
- 3.The syntax of speech act and mirativity
- 4.Further issues
- 5.Concluding remarks
-
Acknowledgments
-
Notes
-
References
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