Argument-Function Linking in Yami:An Optimality-Theoretic Account

Abstract

本論文旨在描述並嘗試以優選詞彙功能語法理論(OT-LMT)處理雅美語的論旨角色與語法功能的連結。雅美語的論旨角色與語法功能連結呈現出作格語言的特性，以致跟中文或英文有很大的差別。並且雅美語的連結又受到了焦點系統的影響，所以更加的複雜。現存的連結理論無論是以變換語法理論為基礎或以詞彙語法為基礎的，似乎都無法很直接簡潔的描述雅美語。本論文嘗試架構一個以優選理論為基礎的新連結模型，並且除了將之使用在雅美語上之外，也同時以這個新的模型來處理中文和英文中的連結。由於優選理論具有彈性的特性，這三種語言不同的連結模式，都可以被包含在這個新的模型當中。

This thesis studies the problem of argument-function linking in Yami and makes the fundamental claim that linking in Yami shows an ergative pattern, quite different from that in accusative languages, such as Mandarin and English. The linking phenomenon in Yami is complicated by its special voice system. Existing linking theories do not account for Yami straightforwardly. In trying to find a framework that can handle the Yami data, we find the flexibility of Optimality Theory a promising solution. The first part of this thesis is a description of the argument-function linking pattern in Yami and the proper place of the voice system is also discussed. And then we review several grammatical theories on linking. Both transformation-based theories and lexicalist theories are examined. We will demonstrate how these theories fail to account for linking in Yami in a straightforward manner. Thus we provide an optimality-theoretic account based on the lexical mapping theory of Lexical-Functional Grammar. This newly developed framework is applied not only to the Yami data but also to the relevant Mandarin and English data. It is claimed that this framework can accommodate all three different languages.