@conference {4900, title = {On the syntax of two correlative constructions in Mandarin Chinese}, year = {2015}, month = {06/2015}, abstract = {

\  \  \  This paper investigates the syntactic structures of two correlative constructions in Mandarin: \“y\òu\… y\òu\…\” and \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n \… y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” Both of them correlate only predicates. \“Y\òu\… y\òu\…\” describes coexisting qualities of an entity (1-a) or actions occurring in the same time frame (1-b). \“Y\ìbi{\={a}}n \… y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” expresses the simultaneity of two actions (2).\ 

(1) a. y\òu\ \ \ \  \ m{\v e}il\ì\ \ \ \  y\òu\  \ congm\íng\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  \ 

\  \  \  \  \ again beautiful again\ \  smart\ \ \ \ \ \  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 

\  \  \  \  \ \‘beautiful and smart\’\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ 

\  \  \ b. y\òu \ \ \ \ \ xǐ \  \  \  yifu\ \ \ \  \ y\òu \ \ \ \ zu\ò\ \  wǎnf\àn.

\  \  \  \  \ again wash clothes\  again\  make\  dinner

\  \  \  \  \ \‘do the laundry and make the dinner.\’

(2) y\ìbi{\={a}}n\  \  \  \ xǐ\ \ \ \ \  yifu \  \  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\  \  \ zu\ò\ \  wǎnf\àn.

\  \  \ one-side wash clothes one-side make \ dinner \ \ 

\  \  \ \‘make the dinner while doing the laundry.\’

\  \  \ \ These two constructions are considered coordinate structures in the literature (Chao, 1968; Zhang, 2008; Xing, 2003). Zhang (2008) further compares them to correlative coordinations in Germanic languages, arguing that the first correlator is a focus particle while the second one functions as a coordinator. Contrary to these views, we argue that while \“y\òu\… y\òu\…\” is indeed a coordination, \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n\… y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” is not. Moreover, the structure of \“y\òu\… y\òu\…\” is different from that of correlative coordinations in Germanic languages.

1. \“Y\òu\… y\òu\…\” constitutes coordinate structures while \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” forms adjunct-head relationships between the predicates that it connects.

\  \  \  No element can be extracted from either predicate in \“y\òu\…y\òu\…\” sentences (3-a, 3-b, 4-a, 4-b) or from the first predicate of \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” (3-d, 4-d). However, extractions from the second predicate of \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” are allowed (3-c, 4-c). In addition, in some contexts, \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n Pred.1\” can appear before the subject (5) while no context allows \“y\òu Pred.1\” to move to the beginning of a sentence. In other words, \“y\òu\…y\òu\…\” observes Coordinate Structure Constraint while \“y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” shows Adjunct Island effects.

(3) a. *Mǎl\ì \ \ y\òu\  \  \  \ xǐ \  \  \  yifu\ \  \  \ y\òu \ \ \ zu\ò \ \ ei\ \ \  de\ \ \  n\à\ \  \ d\ùn\ \  wǎnf\àni\…

\  \  \  \  \  Mary\  again\  wash clothes\  again\  make\ \ \ \ \  \ Rel. that \ \ Cl.\ \  \ dinner

\  \  \  b. *Mǎl\ì\  \ y\òu\  \  \  \ xǐ \ \ \ ei\ \ \  y\òu\  \  \ zu\ò\ \ \  wǎnf\àn\ \  de\ \ \  n\à\ \ \ \  xie\ \ \ \ \  yifui\…

\  \  \  \  \  Mary\  again\ \  wash\ \ \ \ \  again\  make\ \  dinner\  \ Rel. that\  some\  clothes

\  \  \ c. Mǎl\ì\ \  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\ \ \ \ \  \ xǐ\ \ \ \ \  yifu\ \ \ \ \  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\  \  \  zu\ò \ \ \ ei\ \  \ de\ \ \  n\à\ \  d\ùn

\  \  \  \  \ Mary one-side \ wash clothes\  one-side\  make \  \  \  \ Rel. \ that \ \ Cl. \ 

\  \  \  \  \ wǎnf\àni\…

\  \  \  \  \ dinner

\  \  \  \  \ \‘The dinner that Mary made while doing the laundry...\’

\  \  \  d. *Mǎl\ì \  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\  \  \  \ xǐ\ \ \  \ ei\  \ \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\ \ \ \  zu\ò\ \  wǎnf\àn\ \  de\ \ \ \  n\à\  \ \ \ xie\ \ \ \ \ 

\  \  \  \  \  \ Mary \ one-side\  wash\ \ \  \ \ one-side \ make\  dinner\  \ Rel.\  that\  some \ 

\  \  \  \  \  \ yifui\…

\  \  \  \  \  \ clothes\ 

(4) a. *Jinti{\={a}}n\  de\  wǎnf\àni\  sh\ì \ \ Mǎl\ì\  \ \ y\òu \ \ \ \ xǐ\ \ \ \ \  yifu\ \ \ \ \ \  y\òu \ \ \ \ \ zu\ò \ \ ei\  de.

\  \  \  \  \ \ Today\  Gen.\  dinner\  \ be\ \  Mary\  again\ wash clothes\ \ again\ \  make \  \ \ DE

\  \  \  b. *Jinti{\={a}}n\  de\ \ \ \  yifui\ \  sh\ì\ \  Mǎl\ì \ \ \ y\òu \ \ \ \ \ \ xǐ \ \ \ ei\ \ y\òu \ \ \ zu\ò\ \ \  wǎnf\àn\  de.

\  \  \  \  \ Today \  \ Gen. clothes\ be\ \ Mary\ \ again\ \  wash\ \  \ again\  make\ \  dinner\  DE

\  \  \  c. Jinti{\={a}}n\ \ de\  \ wǎnf\àni\  \ sh\ì \ Mǎl\ì\  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n \ \  \  \  xǐ\  \  \  \ yifu \  \  \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n\ \ 

\  \  \  \  \ Today \  Gen. \ dinner\ \  \ be \ Mary\ one-side\  wash clothes \ one-side

\  \  \  \  \ zu\ò\  \ ei\  \ de.

\  \  \  \  \ make \  \  \ DE

\  \  \  \  \ \‘Today\’s dinner was made by Mary while she did the laundry.\’

d. *Jinti{\={a}}n\  de\ \ \ \  yifui\ \  sh\ì\ \  Mǎl\ì\  \ \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n \ \ \ \  xǐ \ \ \ ei\ \ \  y\ìbi{\={a}}n \ \ \ zu\ò\ \ \ wǎnf\àn de.\ 

\  \  \ Today\  Gen. clothes\ be\  Mary\  one-side\ wash\ \ \ \ \ one-side\ make\  dinner DE

(5) Y\ìbi{\={a}}n \ \ \ zǒu, \ \ t{\={a}} \ y\ìbi{\={a}}n \ \ y\òng qu\án qing \ \ qi{\={a}}o \ \ z\ìjǐ \ \ de \ \ \ \ t\óu.

\  \  \ one-side walk, he one-side use\  \ fist \ lightly knock self Gen. head

\  \  \‘While walking, he gently knocked his head with a fist.\’ (Laoshe \“Looking at

\  \  Chang\’an\” )

2. \“Y\òu\… y\òu\…\” is a simple coordinate structure formed by two identical adverbs instead of a correlative coordination composed of a focus particle and a coordinator.

\  \  \  Unlike \“and\” or \“or,\” a single \“y\òu\” does not have the function of a coordinator. It is simply an adverb that marks the accumulation of events or properties (Biq, 1988). \“Y\òu\” can appear with both the conjunction \“\érqi{\v e}\” \‘and\’ (6-a) and the subordinator \“zhih\òu\” \‘after\’ (6-b), which shows that it constitutes neither coordinate nor subordinate relationships between the elements that it links. In contrast, \“and,\” as a coordinator, is not compatible with any subordinator (7), nor is \“y\òu\…y\òu\…\” (6-c). In addition, the first \“y\òu\” of \“y\òu\…y\òu\…\” should not be analyzed as a focus or restrictive particle such as \“even\” or \“only.\” The position of the first \“y\òu\” is rather fixed\— it should stays right in front of the first conjunct (8) and does not \“float\” as freely as \“both\” or \“either\” in correlative coordinations of Germanic languages (Johannessen, 2005; Zhang, 2008) (9). On the contrary, the restrictive adverb \“zhǐ\” \‘only\’ can appear at different preverbal positions and creates scope effects (10), just as \“only\” in English. \ 

(6) a. T{\={a}} \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ xǐ-le \ \ \ \ \ \ wǎn, \ (\érqi{\v e}) y\òu \ \ \ tuo-le \ \ \ \ \ \ \ d\ì.

\  \  \  \  \ s/he wash-Acp. dishes,\  and\  again mop-Acp. floor

\  \  \  \  \ \‘S/he washed the dishes, and mopped the floor, too.\’

\  \  \  b. T{\={a}} \ \ \ \ \ \  \ xǐ-le \ \ \ \ \ \ wǎn \ (zhih\òu), y\òu \ \ \ \ tuo-le \ \ \ \ \ \ d\ì.

\  \  \  \  \  s/he wash-Acp. dishes\ \  after, \  again mop-Acp. floor

\  \  \  \  \  \‘After washing the dishes, s/he mopped the floor, too.\’

\  \  \  c. T{\={a}} \ \ \ \ \ \ y\òu\  \  \  \  xǐ-le \ \ \ \ \ \ wǎn (*zhih\òu), \ y\òu \ \ \ tuo-le \ \ \ \ \ \ \ d\ì.

\  \  \  \  \  s/he \  again wash-Acp. dishes\ \  after,\  \ again mop-Acp. floor

(7) (*After/*Before/*When) she washed the dishes and mopped the floor.

(8) a. T{\={a}} \ \ \ xiǎng y\òu\ \  \ k\àn \ \ \ \ di\ànsh\ì \ \ \ \ y\òu \ w\án \ y\óux\ì.

\  \  \  \  \  s/he want again watch television again play games

\  \  \  \  \  \‘S/he wants to watch TV and also play video games.\’

\  \  \  b. T{\={a}} \ \ \ \ y\òu \ \ xiǎng k\àn \ \ \ \ di\ànsh\ì \ \ \ \ y\òu *(xiǎng) w\án y\óux\ì.

\  \  \  \  \  s/he again want watch television again\ \  want\ \  play games

(9) Max wants to eat either grapes or cherries. / Max wants to either eat grapes or cherries. /

Max either wants to eat grapes, or cherries. (Examples from Zhang, 2008)

(10) a. T{\={a}} \ \ xiǎng \ zhǐ \ \ k\àn \ \ \ \ di\ànsh\ì.\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ b. T{\={a}}\ \ \  \ \ zhǐ \ \ xiǎng \ \ \ k\àn \ \ di\ànsh\ì.

\  \  \  \  \  \ s/he want \ only watch television \ \  \  \  \  \ s/he\ \  only\  want\ \  watch \  \ TV

\  \  \  \  \  \ \‘S/he wants to watch TV only.\’\ \ \ \ \ \  \  \  \ \ \‘S/he only wants to watch TV.\’

\  \  \  In conclusion, not all correlative constructions in Chinese are correlative coordinations similar to those in Germanic languages. \“Y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…y\ìbi{\={a}}n\…\” forms VP adjunctions, and \“y\òu\…y\òu\…\” is a simple coordinate structure made up of two identical adverbs. Our findings improve the current understandings of coordinate structures in Chinese.

References

Biq, Y.-O. (1988). From objectivity to subjectivity: The text-building function of you in Chinese. Studies in Language, 12(1), 99-122.

Chao, Y. R. (1968). A Grammar of Spoken Chinese. Berkeley; Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

Johannessen, J. B. (2005). The syntax of correlative adverbs. Lingua, 115, 419-443.

邢福义 [Xing, Fu-Yi] (2001)。汉语复句研究 [Study on Complex Sentences of Mandarin Chinese]。北京:商务印书馆 [Peking: The Commercial Press]。

Zhang, N. N. (2008). Repetitive and correlative coordinators as focus particles parasitic on coordinators. SKY Journal of Linguistics, 21, 295-342.

}, author = {Ting-shiu Lin} }