Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study

In this paper, we explore quantitative tools to investigate the optionality with respect to the presence of the possessive marker 돨 de in alienable and inalienable constructions in Chinese. We explore three models to account for this optionality. The main model predicts syntactic nature to optionali...

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Main Authors: Giuseppe Samo, Fuzhen Si
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Firenze University Press 2022-08-01
Series:Quaderni di Linguistica e Studi Orientali
Subjects:
Online Access:https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-qulso/article/view/13602
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author Giuseppe Samo
Fuzhen Si
author_facet Giuseppe Samo
Fuzhen Si
author_sort Giuseppe Samo
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we explore quantitative tools to investigate the optionality with respect to the presence of the possessive marker 돨 de in alienable and inalienable constructions in Chinese. We explore three models to account for this optionality. The main model predicts syntactic nature to optionality, in which the syntactic structure plays a role in the licensing/or lack of licensing of the possessive marker, such as overtly realizing pragmatically defined contexts (e.g., the nature of the possessor) or discourse properties. We compare this model to two control groups. The first control group states that the behavior of the marker 돨 de is highly dependent to the lexical properties of the possessum, while the second control group accounts for optionality as random, possibly given by chance. Corpus counts support that the syntactic model better captures the data. Finally, we discuss our results considering a cartographic approach.
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spelling doaj.art-489d3c26565a43b188e173d622919fa12022-12-22T04:23:43ZengFirenze University PressQuaderni di Linguistica e Studi Orientali2421-72202022-08-01202210.13128/qulso-2421-7220-13602Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative StudyGiuseppe SamoFuzhen SiIn this paper, we explore quantitative tools to investigate the optionality with respect to the presence of the possessive marker 돨 de in alienable and inalienable constructions in Chinese. We explore three models to account for this optionality. The main model predicts syntactic nature to optionality, in which the syntactic structure plays a role in the licensing/or lack of licensing of the possessive marker, such as overtly realizing pragmatically defined contexts (e.g., the nature of the possessor) or discourse properties. We compare this model to two control groups. The first control group states that the behavior of the marker 돨 de is highly dependent to the lexical properties of the possessum, while the second control group accounts for optionality as random, possibly given by chance. Corpus counts support that the syntactic model better captures the data. Finally, we discuss our results considering a cartographic approach. https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-qulso/article/view/13602ChineseCartographyPossessive MarkersQuantitative Syntax
spellingShingle Giuseppe Samo
Fuzhen Si
Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
Quaderni di Linguistica e Studi Orientali
Chinese
Cartography
Possessive Markers
Quantitative Syntax
title Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
title_full Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
title_fullStr Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
title_full_unstemmed Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
title_short Optionality of 的 De in Chinese Possessive Structures: A Quantitative Study
title_sort optionality of 的 de in chinese possessive structures a quantitative study
topic Chinese
Cartography
Possessive Markers
Quantitative Syntax
url https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-qulso/article/view/13602
work_keys_str_mv AT giuseppesamo optionalityofdedeinchinesepossessivestructuresaquantitativestudy
AT fuzhensi optionalityofdedeinchinesepossessivestructuresaquantitativestudy