Abstract:
Mei-Cl-NP
1+V+
Mei-Cl-NP
2+
De+NP
3 sentences involve the unique Mandarin phenomenon of "
Mei" -phrase as a bound variable,which has not been discussed in depth in previous studies.From the perspective of generative grammar and formal semantics,the paper holds that
Mei-Cl-NP
2 is bound by the universal quantifier phrase
Mei-Cl-NP
1,and its function is to help NP
3 become a variable so that NP
1 and NP
3 can form a matching relationship.Syntactically,this use observes the constraints imposed by Binding Theory.
Mei-Cl-NP
2 cannot be a co-argument with its antecedent,and has to be a modifier of the co-argument.Semantically,NP
3 cannot be definite,and the cardinality of the set it denotes must be greater than one.According to whether NP
3 is unique for NP
2 in real life,the construction has two types of semantics:a one-to-one relation and a non-many-to-one relation between NP
2 and NP
3.
Mei-Cl-NP
2 is ambiguous,though the bound variable reading is salient in some cases,which is usually related to individuality or non-repeatability of the event in question.The paper also points out that
yi-Cl-NP,
ge,and shui with the help of dou can all have the same pattern as
mei-Cl-NP
2,though they have different matching requirements.