The Focal Structure in Mandarin VP-Ellipsis: A Cross-Linguistic Perspective

漢語動詞刪略句的焦點結構：跨語言分析之印證

10.6519/TJL.2009.7(1).4

魏廷冀(Ting-Chi Wei)

動詞刪略句 ； 極性焦點 ； 對比焦點 ； 極性一致 ； 否定一致 ； 特徵複製 ； VP-ellipsis ； polarity focus ； contrastive focus ； polarity concord ； negative concord ； feature copying

Taiwan Journal of Linguistics

7卷1期（2009 / 06 / 01）

85 - 119

英文

本文論證Soh(2007)之ΣP分析，只能解釋漢語動詞刪略句中極性運作的部分事實。我們以「也」和「卻」的新事證為基礎，提出動詞刪略句中有兩個焦點投射的分析；一為以「也」或「卻」為主要語的對比焦點投射FocP，其位置比TP 還高；另一為以「正的極性焦點」及「負的極性焦點」為主要語的極性投射PolP，其位置比TP低；FocP及PolP會在極性上互相呼應，形成「也」類前後極性一致的句式，及「卻」類前後極性相斥的句式；此互動可透過「呼應運作」(Chomsky 2000, 2001)的理論架構，同時採用Watanabe(2004)的「否定一致」特徵複製來達成。此外我們檢視各類語序的語言，包括英語(SVO)、日語(SOV)、泰雅語(VOS)、布農語(VSO)，來驗證此焦點分析的合理性。

This paper argues that Soh's (2007) ΣP analysis only partially explains polarity operation in Mandarin VP-ellipsis. With new examples of the use of the particle que 'however', a polarity contrast of ye 'also', we propose that there are two focus projections in VP-ellipsis. One is the contrastive FocP headed by ye or que higher than TP and the other is the polarity PolP headed by an affirmative polarity focus shi 'be' or a covert negative polarity focus lower than TP. Foc interacts with Pol by a way of polarity concord, which is responsible for the polarity symmetry or asymmetry across two conjuncts. We suggest that the polarity concord is achieved via the Agree operation (Chomsky 2000, 2001) in line with Watanabe's (2004) feature copying analysis of the negative concord. A cross-linguistic investigation of languages of various word orders, including English (SVO), Japanese (SOV), Atayal (VOS), and Bunun (VSO) lends support to this focus account.

1. Ai, R. R.(2006).Harvard University.
2. Chomsky, Noam.(1995).The Minimalist Program.Cambridge, Mass.:MIT Press.
3. Chomsky, Noam.,M. Kenstowicz (ed.)(2001).Ken Hale: A Life in Language.Cambridge, Mass.:MIT Press.
4. Chomsky, Noam.,P. Barbosa (ed.),D. Fox,P. Hagstrom,M. McGinnis,D. Pesetsky(1998).Is the Best Good Enough?.Cambridge, Mass.:MIT Press.
5. Chomsky, Noam.,R. Martin (ed.),D. Michaels,J. Uriagereka(2000).Step by Step: Essays on Minimalist Syntax in honor of Howard Lasnik.Cambridge, Mass.:MIT Press.
6. Culicover, P. W.,D. Delfitto (ed.),M. Everaert,A. Evert,F. Stuurman(1991).Topicalization, inversion, and complementizers in English.Going Romance, and Beyond: Fifth Symposium on Comparative Grammar, OTS Working Papers 91-002.,Utrecht:
7. Drubig, H. B.(1994).Island constraints and the syntactic nature of focus and association with Focus.Arbeitspapiere des Sonderforschungsbereichs 340: Sprachtheoretische Grundlagen für die Computerlinguistik. No. 51.
8. Drubig, H. B.(1998).Arbeitsbericht, Projekt "Typologize zur Informationsstruktur" DFG-Schwerpunkt: Sprachtypologie.".Tübingen:University of Tubingen.
9. Haegeman, L.,R. Zanuttini.(1991).Negative heads and the neg criterion.The Linguistic Review,8,233-251.
10. Haegeman, L.,R. Zanuttini.,A. Belletti (ed.),L. Rizzi(1996).Parameters and Functional Heads.Oxford:Oxford University Press.
11. Holmer, Arthur.,A. Carnie (ed.),H. Harley,S. A. Dooley(2005).Verb first: On the Syntax of Verb-initial Languages.Amsterdam/Philadelphia:John Benjamins Pub.
12. Howard, H. D.(1993).Cornell University.
13. Huang, C.-T. James.,Jaeggli O. (ed.),K. Safir(1988).The Null Subject Parameter.Dordrecht:Kluwer.
14. Huang, C.-T. James.,R. Freidin (ed.)(1991).Principles and Parameters in Generative Grammar.Cambridge:The MIT Press.
15. Huang, C.-T. James,Tawa Wako (ed.),Mineharu Nakayama(1988).Proceedings of Japanese Syntax Workshop: Issues on Empty Categories.New London:Connecticut College.
16. Kaplan, Jeff.(1984).Obligatory too in English.Languages,60(3),510-518.
17. Kayne, R.(1994).The Antisymmetry of Syntax.Cambridge, MA:MIT Press.
18. Laka, Itziar.(1990).Cambridge,MIT.
19. Li, Hui-Ju Grace.(2002).Los Angeles,University of Southern California.
20. Li, Yen-hui Audrey.(2007).Syntax of Overt and Covert Pronouns.University of Southern California.
21. Lobeck, Anne.(1995).Ellipsis: Functional Heads, Licensing, and Identification.New York:Oxford University Press.
22. López, Luis.(1995).Cornell University.
23. López, Luis.,Michael L. Mazzola (ed.)(1994).The syntactic licensing of VP-ellipsis: A comparative study of Spanish and English.Issues and Theory in Romance Linguistics: Selected Papers from the Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages XXIII April 1-4 1993,Washington, D.C.:
24. López, Luis,S. Winkler.(2000).Focus and topic in VP-anaphora constructions.Linguistics,38(4),623-664.
25. May, Robert.(1985).Logical Form: Its Structure and Derivation.Cambridge, Mass.:MIT Press.
26. Otani, K.,J. Whitman.(1991).V-raising and VP-ellipsis..Linguistic Inquiry,22,345-358.
27. Rizzi, L.,A. Belletti (ed.)(2004).Structures and Beyond: The Cartography of Syntactic Structures.N.Y.:Oxford University Press.
28. Rizzi, L.,L. Haegeman (ed.)(1997).Elements of grammar.Dordrecht:Kluwer.
29. Soh, Hooi Ling.(2007).Ellipsis, last resort, and the dummy auxiliary shi 'be' in Mandarin Chinese.Linguistic Inquiry,38(1),178-188.
30. Soh, Hooi Ling.,Makoto Kadowaki (ed.),Shigeto Kawahara(2003).NELS.Amherst:University of Massachusetts.
31. Tang, Sze-Wing.(2001).The (non-)existence of gapping in Chinese and its implications for the theory of gapping.Journal of East Asian Linguistics,10,201-224.
32. Tham, Shiao Wei.(2008).The semantic category of the subject NP in Mandarin specificational copular sentences.Journal of East Asian Linguistics,17,61-82.
33. Travis, L. deMena.,A. Carnie (ed.),H. Harley,S. A. Dooley(2005).Verb First: On the Syntax of Verb-initial Languages.Amsterdam/Philadelphia:John Benjamins Pub.
34. Watanabe, A.(2003).WH and operator constructions in Japanese.Lingua,113,519-558.
35. Watanabe, A.(2004).The genesis of negative concord: Syntax and morphology of negative doubling.Linguistic Inquiry,35(4),559-612.
36. Watanabe, A.,D. Lightfoot (ed.)(2002).Syntactic Effects of Morphological Change.Oxford:Oxford University Press.
37. Winkler, Susanne.,K. Schwabe (ed.),Niina Zhang(2000).Ellipsis in Conjunction Linguistiche Arbeiten.Tübingen:Max Niemeyer Verlag.
38. Xu, Liejiong.(2003).Remarks on VP-ellipsis in disguise.Linguistic Inquiry,34,163-171.
39. Zagona, Karen.(1988).Proper government of antecedentless VP in English and Spanish..Natural Language and Linguistic Theory,6,95-128.

1. 石守謙(2010)。中國古代書法傳統與當代藝術。清華學報，40(3)，583-608。