Topic chain as a syntactic category in Chinese
主题链是汉语的基本句法单位
Dingxu Shi 石定栩

Abstract 摘要
This paper is a study of the so-called topic chain, a category that is to be considered as a discourse level phenomenon and excluded from the syntax. It will be argued in this paper that topic chain is actually a basic unit in Chinese syntax. It has all the syntactic functions normally assumed for an S’ in this language, i.e., it can be the subject, the verbal complement, the NP complement, the adverbial and the modifier of an NP in a Chinese sentence. It will also be argued that the definition for the category of topic chain should be interpreted in a more liberal way, so that certain types of topic chain will no longer be excluded. It will be demonstrated that a topic chain is not simply a coordinate construction. It is a separate category in the grammar with its own syntactic properties. Much insight could be gained by the study on this rarely mentioned category.

汉语的主题链向来被认为属于话语分析的范畴，因而排除在句法分析之外。事实上，除了能单独成句之外，主题链可以在句子中充当主语，宾语，同位语，状语和定语，所以应该归入句法分析，作为汉语的基本语法单位之一。主题链的范围不应局限于主题处于句首的情形，而应作适当扩大。主题链并非单句的简单并列，而是一个独立的，具有特别性质的句法单位，对这一语法现象的研究必能加深对汉语语法的理解。

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