XuPing Li

Wu, Yicheng and XuPing Li 2021 On indefinite subjects in Mandarin: A semantic account International Journal of Chinese Linguistics 8:1, pp. 1–34 | Article

This study investigates the licensing conditions and interpretational variability of indefinite subjects in Mandarin. Against the ‘definiteness’ constraint of subject in Mandarin (Chao 1968; Li and Thompson 1981), three types of indefinite subjects are identified in the subject position, but… read more

Zhang, Futong and XuPing Li 2019 「數＋量＋之／的＋名」的歷時語義演變 [On the semantic function of [numeral+classifier+ zhi/de +noun]] Language and Linguistics 20:3, pp. 469–492 | Article

本文探討上古漢語至近代漢語中「數＋量＋之／的＋名」形式、功能兩個層面的發展演變。形式方面，由先秦時期的「數＋量＋之＋名」發展爲宋元以後的「數＋量＋的＋名」，以及元代出現的「數1＋量1＋數2＋量2＋的＋名」；功能方面，「數＋量＋之／的＋名」由初始的純描寫型結構發展出計量功能。我們認爲，不同類型的數詞和量詞對「數＋量＋的＋名」這一結構的語義變化有重要影響。具體來說，當「數＋量＋之／的＋名」這一結構的數詞爲高位數詞、約數詞時，它一般表描寫功能；低位確數詞進入該結構促使計量功能的產生。個體量詞在該結構的大量使用進一步加速了該結構從描寫到計量的轉化。 read more

Li, XuPing 2015 Ditransitive constructions in Gan Chinese: A case study of the Yichun dialect Causation, Permission, and Transfer: Argument realisation in GET, TAKE, PUT, GIVE and LET verbs, Nolan, Brian, Gudrun Rawoens and Elke Diedrichsen (eds.), pp. 177–193 | Article

This paper studies ditransitive constructions in Gan Chinese, one of the seven main Chinese language families. Gan dialects have the ‘inverted’ double object construction, as schematized in the order of “verb-DO-IO” (DO stands for direct object and IO for indirect object), as contrasted with the… read more

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