Journal of Foreign Languages ›› 2021, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 31-37.

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Syntactic Hierarchy of the Typical Comparative Construction in Shanghainese

HAN Weifeng1, SHI Dingxu2   

  1. 1. La Trobe University, Melbourne Vic. 3086, Australia;
    2. Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou 510420, China
  • Received:2019-11-28 Online:2021-05-20 Published:2021-05-27

Abstract: The paper proposes a Degree Phrase (DegP) and a Focus Phrase (FocP) before the comparative adjective in the typical comparative construction in Shanghainese, in which FocP is always base-generated higher than DegP, and thus form the pattern of FocP>DegP.It is further pointed out that the comparative subject can always be topicalized.Therefore, the typical comparative construction in Shanghainese is a topic structure in nature.The comparative standard can also be topicalized, providing that there is a DegP, or a FocP highlighting the comparative adjective as the new information in the comment.

Key words: Shanghainese, typical comparative construction, DegP, FocP, TopP

CLC Number: 

  • H043
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