Process-Related Durative Phrases as Numeral-Classifier Phrases in Chinese

Abstract

本文討論出現在名前的時量詞的句法地位，主張其應當分析為量詞組。本文從兩方面提出新的證據，即閩南語裡的連讀變調規則以及漢語裡「的」字出現/省略的規則。這個新的量詞分析不但可以整合早前不同分析的矛盾之處，也可以對名前時量詞組帶來的句法-語意衝突難題提出統一的解釋。

This paper argues that pre-nominal durative phrases should be analyzed as numeral-classifiers in Chinese. New evidence is provided from Taiwanese tone sandhi rules and the de-insertion rule in Mandarin. It is shown that the numeral-classifier analysis of the pre-nominal durative phrase is able to solve the tension among previous analyses, and may provide a unified account for the syntax-semantic mismatch of the durative phrase.