The grammaticalization of zhe and suo in Old and Middle Chinese: From light noun to nominalizer and more

Yap, Foong Ha; Wang, Jiao

doi:10.1075/tsl.96.02yap

Part of

Nominalization in Asian Languages: Diachronic and typological perspectives
Edited by Foong Ha Yap, Karen Grunow-Hårsta and Janick Wrona
[Typological Studies in Language 96] 2011
► pp. 61–108

From light noun to nominalizer and more

The grammaticalization of zhe and suo in Old and Middle Chinese

Foong Ha Yap | Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Jiao Wang | Chinese University of Hong Kong

In this paper, we examine how Chinese light nouns zhe and suo evolved into agent and patient nominalizers respectively. The link between nominalization, relativization and genitivization is explored from a grammaticalization perspective; likewise the frequent relationship between nominalization and clausal subordination. Other uses derived from nominalization constructions are discussed as well, among them speaker stance marking and passive voice marking.

Published online: 29 June 2011

https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.96.02yap

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