The historical development of the coverb and the coverbial phrase in Chinese
汉语同动词与同动词组之历史演变
Y. C. Li 李英哲

Abstract 摘要
A theory of ‘refinement’ (as contrasted with ‘simplification’) is proposed to account for the historical development of the coverbs and the coverbial phrases in Chinese. In EAC, a few coverbs with ‘broad’ or general meanings were gradually replaced by many coverbs of specific properties. The Archaic documents demonstrate the versatile use of the universal coverb yú and five other coverbs in EAC. The number proliferated to twenty in LAC, forty in LHC, and sixty in Modern Chinese (not including twenty that have now disappeared).

本文提议以功用精化理论（与语言简化理论相对）解释汉语同动词与同动词组之历史演变。在上古时期，以‘于’为首之有数几个意义广泛之同动词逐渐被许多具有特殊功用之同动词替代。上古典籍充分显示具有普遍性功用之‘于’与其它五个同动词之广泛用途。在上古后期（先秦）同动词数目即增至二十之数；在后汉后又加至四十；而在现代汉语中，綐数已超过六十。此数尚不包括二十个已淘汰之同动词。本文同时提出另一见解：即是各种同动词组在句中似遵循某种逻辑或时间之先后而作特定排列，造成动词组之连动结构。各种同动词之特定排列在汉语历史上似无变化之证据可寻。有普遍功用之‘于’不仅指示多数动名关系，并且互存在句中可作‘是，在，有’之用途。由于‘于’作动词或同动词时必居名词之前，故各种名词初视时有同处所词之后果，其现象如同时间词作处所词。

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