More Than Person Deixis: Uses of Ya (丫) among Native and Non-Native Beijingers

Abstract

本文對北京方言中一流行語素「丫」進行了研究，對北京人和非北京（即中國其他地區）人如何使用「丫」進行了比較學習。「丫」由一名詞詞素發展為含人稱指示意義的語素，最初含有貶義色彩，後逐漸擴展為可表示熟悉親密之意的社會認同標誌。近年來「丫」的使用擴展到北京以外的地域，而非北京人與北京本地人使用「丫」存在差異現象。本文從輸出和接受兩個角度進行探究，總結 「丫」的不同用法，對北京人與非北京人使用「丫」進行比較。結果顯示，在北京方言中，根據人稱指稱意義的不同，「丫」具有多種用法。而除地域因素以外，年齡、性別、在北京生活時間等因素都是影響「丫」用法差異的因素。

This paper examines how the morpheme ya is used among native and non-native speakers of the Beijing dialect. It traces the development of ya from a lexical noun to a third person singular pronoun, initially with derogatory meaning, and then extending into a social identity marker signaling familiarity and intimacy. Evidence from both production and perception studies also shows that the use of ya has extended to other regions, with non-native uses of ya emerging in the process. In addition to native vs. non-native use, other factors also contribute to differences in the use of ya constructions. Among the factors identified in this study are age group, gender, and length of residency in Beijing.