LINGUIST List 17.1673: Syntax: Ai: 'Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin'

LINGUIST List 17.1673

Sat Jun 03 2006

Diss: Syntax: Ai: 'Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin'

Editor for this issue: Meredith Valant <meredithlinguistlist.org>

Directory 1. Ruixi Ai, Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin

Message 1: Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin
Date: 01-Jun-2006
From: Ruixi Ai <raifas.harvard.edu>
Subject: Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin

Institution: Harvard University Program: Department of Linguistics Dissertation Status: Completed Degree Date: 2006

Author: Ruixi Ressy Ai

Dissertation Title: Elliptical Predicate Constructions in Mandarin

Linguistic Field(s): Syntax
Subject Language(s): Chinese, Mandarin (cmn)
Dissertation Director:
Cedric Boeckx C.-T. James Huang Andrew Nevins
Dissertation Abstract:

This dissertation presents a study of elliptical predicate constructions inMandarin Chinese (MC). Four types of VP ellipsis have been investigatedacross languages. They are: (a) VPE in disguise (alternatively known asV-Stranding VPE); (b) English-like VPE (vPE); (c) Antecedent ContainedDeletion (ACD) and (d) Pseudo-Gapping (PG). It is shown that thedistribution of these types of VPE constructions is quite impoverished inMC. For VPE in disguise or V-Stranding VPE, its distribution can only bedetected when the object is [-animate], with the possibility of relating itto a context called strong pragmatic control. For English-like VPE (vPE),it is argued that shi ('be')-supported construction is not an instance ofvPE. Instead, it is an instance of deep anaphora, in the sense of Sag(1976a), and Hankamer and Sag (1976). Genuine vPE constructions in MC,however, do exist and they are licensed by a particular kind of modals,which can be (sometimes) combined with certain negative morphemes. Thisparticular kind of modals refers to those that can indicate (epistemic ordeontic) possibility. Modals indicating (epistemic or deontic) necessity,on the other hand, cannot license vPE in MC. ACD constructions are alsolimited in MC due to: (a) the limited distribution of VPE constructions inMC; (b) the limited process of relativization and (c) the peculiarLF-reconstruction of the ellipsis site. PG is impossible in MC because thesyntactic machinery that can derive them is not available.

The study of elliptical predicate constructions in MC supports a mixedapproach in analyzing (VP) ellipsis. That is, we need both the PF-deletionapproach and the interpretive (or the LF-reconstruction/copying) approach.The identity condition for VPE constructions is argued to be LF-structuralidentity of predicates.