zero-marked true partitives

[Kazuha Watanabe]

Dear all,

  I am not sure if this has anything to do with the topic, but in
Japanese, there are two forms regarding the partitive-like construction.

1-a) ni   kiro-no   ocha-wo kat-ta
     two  kilo-GEN  tea-ACC buy-PAST

     'I bought two kilo of tea.'(this is the equivalent of pseudo partitive)

1-b) ocha-wo ni   kiro   kat-ta
     tea-ACC two  kilo   buy-PAST

    'I bought two kilo of tea.' (the quantifier floating example, still
                                 pseudo partitive)

2)   so-no     ocha-wo ni   kiro   kat-ta
     that-GEN  tea-ACC two  kilo   buy-PAST

     'I bought two kilo of that tea.' (the quantifier floating example, true
                                       partitive)

In case of the true partitive in a sentence, the quantifier floating
becomes obligatory (and there is no marking on the counter 'kiro' on
either pseudo partitive or true partitive when using the quantifier
floating construction.

As I said, I am not sure if this is something of an interest....

Kazuha Watanabe