accusative and ergative languages

[Patrick C. Ryan]

Dear Peter and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: petegray <petegray at btinternet.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 11, 1999 1:45 PM

>> Pat wrote:

>> Well, on page 40 of Chao's Mandarin Primer, are listed "Affixes":
>> 11 are listed; ...

Peter wrote:

> I simply cannot let this go.    Verbal compounds are rife in modern Chinese,
> and the second elements ("affixes" if we are using terms inappropriate for
> Chinese) are derived from a large number of concepts.   The fact that Chao
> lists 11 only means that he has selected 11, and does not reflect the actual
> nature of the Chinese language.   Things are not as simple as that grammar
> makes them seem!

Pat responds:

Fine, Peter. Why not list two or three additional elements that function in
Chinese equivalent to inflectional affixes?

 Pat

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