节点文献
“DeP结构”的λ提取与可追踪性原则
The X Abstraction of the Chinese "DeP Construction" and the Traceability Principle
【摘要】 汉语“de”字结构一直是语言学家探讨的焦点。他们主要就“de”或“de”字结构的性质、“de”的分合、“de”字短语的内部结构等进行探讨、分析,颇有争议。本文以最简方案理论框架下“DeP结构”和英语关系从句的特征核查为基本理据,指出汉语“DeP结构”和英语关系从句具有相似性,从而用形式语义学中关于英语关系从句的λ提取及其函数特征的分析来对“DeP结构”进行语义推导、演算,将“DeP结构”定性为名词性成分,并总结出可解决种种争议的最经济、最简练的“可追踪性原则”。
【Abstract】 The Chinese" de construction" has always been a research concern of Chinese linguists, who dispute heatedly on the nature of de and the inner structure of " de construction". Some of them divide the "empty word" de into different morphemes while others merge them into one morpheme without any pertinent reasons. The present study presents a new idea of unifying most de morphemes into a unique morpheme De by showing the intrinsic nominal feature of " DeP construction" and its common inner structure characterized by the setup of a variable - operator relationship.The study first provides a comparison between the Chinese " DeP construction" and the English relative clause. Syntactically speaking, both of them have Complementizer as the head which has the same strong [+NOM] feature, but assumes different parameters in English and in Chinese: in English, the [ +NOM] feature of Complementizer is expressed as [ + wh] while in Chinese it is expressed as [ +Ne] (i. e., Null Entity) . Functionally speaking, both can be used as the subject, object, predicate or attributive. Semantically speaking, both assume an operator-variable relationship. In a word, they are based on the same mechanism of relativization.The study further compares the semantic computation of the predicate ion of English relative clauses and Chinese " DeP construction". Inspired by Heim & Kratzer’s Predicate ion Rule (PA) (1998) for the interpretation of English relative clauses, we get the Predicate ion Rule for the reading of the Chinese " DeP construction" which goes like this: If a is a branching node whose daughters are 8 and PI, where p is an Empty Operator, and b is a branching node whose daughters are b and De , and ie IN, then for any variable assignment a, [a]a =X e De. [b]ax/i.According to this rule and other basic rules in semantics, " DeP construction" can be further reduced to a lambda function: x e De. ... x..... So one unique property of the Chinese " DePconstruction" as well as English relative clauses is that there is absolutely only one lambda operator and correspondingly only one variable (x) bound by the lambda operator. They are in a bijective relationship. Otherwise, we get an ill - formed " DeP construction".Finally the study concludes that the Traceability Principle can be expected to cover the formation and interpretation of all Chinese " DeP constructions" . According to this principle, we distinguish two situations. First, the variable bound by the lambda operator can be directly and naturally traced if the variable is situated in [spec AgrP] or [spec AgrsP]. Second, the variable bound by the lambda operator situated in otherwise postions must be able to be indirectly traced out by the hint of the head NP after De, the resumptive pronoun, or by the hint of the predicate after De. Only when the variable can be traced and then a reasonable function can be formed can we make a well - formed " DeP construction" possible. By doing so, we naturally unify many formerly different and controversial de morphemes into one identical De morpheme. We claim in this study that the Traceability Principle is the most economical principle to deal with the Chinese " De construction".
【Key words】 Chinese "DeP construction"; relative clause; X abstraction; Traceability Principle;
- 【文献出处】 现代外语 ,Modern Foreign Languages , 编辑部邮箱 ,2003年03期
- 【分类号】H14
- 【被引频次】11
- 【下载频次】338