[Lingtyp] Query: 'eat', 'drink' and similar verbs

[Tianhua Luo]

Dear colleagues,




I have a question on 'eat', 'drink' and similar verbs. 




In Mandarin Chinese 'eat' and 'drink' can followed with bare form nouns expressing locative or instrumental meaning, e.g., chi shitang (eat cafeteria) 'eat IN the cafeteria' and he da bei (drink big glass) ‘drink WITH big glasses’ (see below for more examples). 




Are there any other languages that employ similar structures?  I’m interested in all reports of languages outside of China in this respect.




Many thanks,




Tianhua Luo

Dept. of Chinese, Zhejiang University, China

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Mandarin Chinese ‘eat’ and ‘drink’

1. ‘Eat’

|

(1)

|

ni

|

chi

|

pingguo

|
|

|

2SG

|

eat

|

apple

|
|

|

‘Please eat an apple.’

|




|

(2)

|

women

|

chi

|

shitang

|
|

|

1PL

|

eat

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cafeteria

|
|

|

‘We eat in the cafeteria.’

|




|

(3)

|

zhongguoren

|

chi

|

kuaizi,

|

xifangren

|

chi

|

chazi.

|
|

|

Chinese

|

eat

|

chopstick

|

westerner

|

eat

|

fork

|
|

|

‘Chinese eat with chopsticks and the westerners eat with forks.’

|




|

(4)

|

xiao

|

huoguo

|

chi

|

xinqing,

|

da

|

huoguo

|

chi

|

renao.

|
|

|

small

|

hotpot

|

eat

|

mood

|

big

|

hotpot

|

eat

|

noise

|
|

|

‘One have small hotpot for ease and big ones for lively atmosphere.’

|




2. ‘Drink’

|

(5)

|

keren

|

he

|

cha

|
|

|

guest

|

drink

|

tea

|
|

|

‘The guest is drinking tea.’

|




|

(6)

|

zhongguoren

|

he

|

da

|

bei.

|
|

|

Chinese

|

drink

|

big

|

glass

|
|

|

‘Chinese drink alcohol with big glasses.’

|




|

(7)

|

yi-ge

|

ren

|

he

|

fangsong,

|

liang-ge

|

ren

|

he

|

qingdiao.

|
|

|

one-CL

|

man

|

drink

|

ease

|

two-CL

|

man

|

drink

|

atmosphere

|
|

|

‘One drinks alone for ease and two people drink for nice atmosphere.’

|




|

(8)

|

xiao

|

bei

|

he

|

baijiu,

|

da

|

bei

|

he

|

pijiu.

|
|

|

small

|

glass

|

drink

|

alcohol

|

big

|

glass

|

drink

|

beer

|
|

|

‘The small glasses are used for alcohol and the big glasses are for beer.’

|




|

(9)

|

baijiu

|

he

|

xiao

|

bei,

|

pijiu

|

he

|

da

|

bei.

|
|

|

alcohol

|

drink

|

small

|

glass

|

beer

|

drink

|

big

|

glass

|
|

|

‘Alcohol should brink by small glasses and beer by big ones.’

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