SEMANTICS AND SYNTAX OF THE PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION IN HAINAN MIN

Abstract

This paper presents the syntactic and semantic features of passive structures in Hainan Min with a focus on the passive semi-lexical verb in Hainan Min, ioh, lexically denoting the verb `to take.` We offer definitions and examples for the different meanings in the causative-unaccusative spectrum. The meanings of ioh are tested through these definitions, which revealed that ioh expresses meanings from `causative` to `passive.` In addition, this paper also provides data for examining the ioh-passives with reference to there, subject-anaphora, idiom chunks, unaccusative/causative alternation, and subject-oriented adverbs. This paper also compares the ioh-passive with the hoo-passive in Taiwan Southern Min and the gei-passive in Mandarin. The passive structures in the three dialects all follow the passivization cartography. In these dialects, the meanings of the passive verbs occupy several points along the causative-unaccusative spectrum, but different dialects have their specific passive verbs, each with its own range of meanings. The passive structure in Hainan Min has not yet been thoroughly studied. Hence, this paper contributes to filling the gap in the knowledge by providing both semantic and syntactic analyses.

本文探討海南閩語之被動句型。海南閩語的被動動詞是「著ioh」，表達「拿取」的意思。本文討論「著」被動句型的語法及語意特色。「著」可以表達「使動」到「被動」的語意。本文提供了定義及例句來說明致使－非賓格光譜上的語意點。透過這些定義，本文測試了海南閩語的「著ioh」，結果發現「著ioh」表達從致使到被動的語意。此外，本文也透過語法測試來理解「著ioh」被動句的語法特色。本文比較了台灣閩南語之「予hoo」被動句及華語之「給gei」被動句。這三個漢語方言使用不同的被動動詞表達被動，也有不同的語意廣度，能表達不同的語意。過去學界對於海南閩語的了解非常稀少，透過本文的解釋及分析，彌補了學界對於海南閩語被動句的陌生。