Readers 读者
The logic of Chinese syntactic structure
汉语句法结构的逻辑
Chao Li 李朝
Abstract 摘要
This paper argues for an account of Chinese syntactic structure that takes both structure and function into consideration. It argues that Chinese syntax can be given a rather neat and natural account if we take iconicity and information status into account and if we look at the following three orders separately: the order of the head and its NP or clause complements, the order of the head and its PP complements, and the order of the head and the adjuncts. It points out that Chinese is head-initial in terms of the order of the head and its NP or clause complement. However, when the complement is a PP, it typically precedes the head except that it can also occur after the head if such an ordering conforms to the unfolding of the event in the real world. As for the order of the head and the adjuncts, Chinese is head-final except when the adjunct is used to provide new information about degree or result or new (evaluative) information in terms of quality or quantity.
Subject Keywords 关键词
Chinese phrase structure 汉语短语结构 Chinese syntactic structure 汉语句法结构 Head-initial 核心在前 Head-final 核心在后 Complement 补足语 Adjunct 附加语