Edited by Andrew Simpson
[Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today 272] 2022
► pp. 479–508
In the study of kaN (敢gan3 in Mandarin Chinese written form) in Taiwanese Southern Min, previous studies have largely focused on the interrogative kám sentences. This paper, however, shows a comprehensive picture when taking into consideration of the allomorph kánn in declarative sentences, and the diachronic development of kaN. Specifically, we propose that kaN functions as a non-veridical operator, whose clause type feature needs to be valued in IntP, thus deriving either a [+Q] (kám) or [-Q] (kánn) sentence. Moreover, various kaN sentence types are derived contingent on the interface criteria: (i) syntax (clause type feature valuation), (ii) inquisitive semantics of kaN: the epistemic use of kánn and sī ‘be’, and (iii) speaker’s intentionality/supposition in the speech act domain.