Nominal Predicates in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

本文重新檢視Tang（1998）的漢語「主要小句」分析，以期更能夠掌握漢語名詞謂語的實際運作。我們發現，漢語名詞謂語的結構可以是「光棍」名詞組或者是「非光棍」之投射；所有的名詞謂語皆呈現一種「修飾語–被修飾語」的偏正關係，並且與主語形成一種「修飾主謂關係」；整個主要小句的結構與一般句無異，是一種「非光棍」結構，而非Tang所主張的「光棍」結構。此外本文也支持，漢語有定／無定名詞組為論元而非謂語之假設。

This article reconsiders Tang’s (1998) analysis of Mandarin matrix small clauses (SC) in an attempt to get a better understanding of the structure of the Mandarin nominal predicate. It is found that the structures which the nominal predicate can take can be a bare NP or even not-so-bare projections. All the nominal predicates manifest a kind of modifier-modifiee pattern, which implements ‘modificational predication’ of the subject. Thus, the matrix SC is structurally “not-so-bare” rather than “bare”. Finally, the claim of Mandarin indefinite/definite DP as an argument, not a predicate is further strengthened in this work.