Vol. 25:2 (2024) ► pp.318–350
The sole relative marker
The exclusive expression weiyi ‘sole/only’ in Mandarin can appear preverbally in a relative clause (e.g., wo weiyi xihuan de shu ‘the sole book I like’) but not in other types of clauses (e.g., *Wo weiyi xihuan shu, intended: ‘I only like books’). This paper first justifies the claim that weiyi may not only function as an adjectival modifier but also appear preverbally inside a relative clause, and then demonstrates how weiyi is related to definiteness and takes scope out of a relative clause. It is proposed that preverbal weiyi is part of a DP which undergoes overt A’-movement in the process of relativization. The syntactic structure and semantic composition of a matching analysis are offered to show how a uniform account can be given across adjectival and relative weiyi. A major implication of this paper is that Mandarin does not possess a relative pronoun but allows a DP-internal focus expression to mark syntactic movement in relativization. A comparison between relative constructions involving weiyi and English all-clefts is also discussed.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.In support of weiyi as a relative marker
- 3.Arguments against potential alternatives
- 4.The interpretation of weiyi: Definiteness and scope
- 4.1Definiteness
- 4.2Scope
- 5.Formal analysis
- 5.1Adjectival weiyi
- 5.2Relative weiyi
- 5.3Explaining previous observations
- 6.A comparison with English all-clefts
- 7.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Abbreviations
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References
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