19.1378, Books: Lang Acquisition/Syntax/Semantics/Ling Theories: Yang

Thu Apr 24 02:16:36 UTC 2008

LINGUIST List: Vol-19-1378. Wed Apr 23 2008. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 19.1378, Books: Lang Acquisition/Syntax/Semantics/Ling Theories: Yang

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>

Reviews: Randall Eggert, U of Utah  
         <reviews at linguistlist.org> 

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, 
and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Hannah Morales <hannah at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  

Links to the websites of all LINGUIST's supporting publishers
are available at the end of this issue. 

===========================Directory==============================  

1)
Date: 22-Apr-2008
From: Josephine Mul < lot at let.uu.nl >
Subject: The Indefinite Object in Mandarin Chinese: Its Marking,
Interpretation and Acquisition: Yang

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:15:10
From: Josephine Mul [lot at let.uu.nl]
Subject: The Indefinite Object in Mandarin Chinese: Its Marking, Interpretation and Acquisition: Yang
E-mail this message to a friend:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/emailmessage/verification.cfm?iss=19-1378.html&submissionid=176286&topicid=2&msgnumber=1  

Title: The Indefinite Object in Mandarin Chinese: Its Marking,
Interpretation and Acquisition 
Series Title: LOT dissertatiereeks  

Publication Year: 2008 
Publisher: Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke - LOT
	   http://www.lotpublications.nl/

Author: Ning Yang

Paperback: ISBN:  9789078328537 Pages: 259 Price: Europe EURO 23.46

Abstract:

This dissertation centers around the indefinite object noun phrase in
Chinese. In order to investigate whether language specific properties can
be accounted for by language universal constraints, three aspects of the
indefinite object are studied: its marking, its interpretation and its
acquisition. With respect to the marking of the indefinite object in
Chinese, this dissertation shows that the pattern of differential object
marking can be accounted for by considering not only cross-linguistically
attested features of animacy and specificity, but word order as well. This
dissertation also shows that non-specific indefinite objects in Chinese,
contrary to traditional claims, in fact do occur in certain constructions.
The interpretation in these constructions is influenced by lexical
properties of the object, its syntactic position and the type of predicate.
Finally, this dissertation describes two experiments that were carried out
in order to examine the acquisition of one particular type of indefinite
object in Chinese. The results show that Chinese children initially
interpret indefinite objects with a non-specific, narrow-scope reading,
following a universal pattern. This finding goes against the results of
previous acquisition studies, claiming that Chinese children have a default
non-scopal reading of indefinite objects. This dissertation therefore
argues that language specific factors play a role from early stages on, but
that these factors only lead to adult-like patterns of interpretation when
the initial preference wanes. The examination of these three aspects of
indefinite objects in Chinese leads to the conclusion that language
specific properties of indefinite objects in Chinese can be captured by a
language specific ranking of universal, conflicting constraints. 

Linguistic Field(s): Language Acquisition
                     Linguistic Theories
                     Semantics
                     Syntax

Subject Language(s): Chinese, Mandarin (cmn)

Written In: English  (eng)

See this book announcement on our website: 
http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=35100

MAJOR SUPPORTERS

	Brill          
		http://www.brill.nl	

	Cambridge Scholars Publishing          
		http://www.c-s-p.org	

	Cambridge University Press          
		http://us.cambridge.org	

	Cascadilla Press          
		http://www.cascadilla.com/	

	Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd          
		http://www.continuumbooks.com	

	Edinburgh University Press          
		http://www.eup.ed.ac.uk/	

	Elsevier Ltd          
		http://www.elsevier.com/linguistics	

	Equinox Publishing Ltd          
		http://www.equinoxpub.com/	

	European Language Resources Association - ELRA          
		http://www.elra.info.	

	Georgetown University Press          
		http://www.press.georgetown.edu	

	Hodder Education          
		http://www.hoddereducation.co.uk	

	John Benjamins          
		http://www.benjamins.com/	

	Lincom GmbH          
		http://www.lincom.eu	

	MIT Press          
		http://mitpress.mit.edu/	

	Mouton de Gruyter          
		http://www.mouton-publishers.com	

	Multilingual Matters          
		http://www.multilingual-matters.com/	

	Narr Francke Attempto Verlag GmbH + Co. KG          
		http://www.narr.de/	

	Oxford University Press          
		http://www.oup.com/us	

	Peter Lang AG          
		http://www.peterlang.com	

	Rodopi          
		http://www.rodopi.nl/	

	Routledge (Taylor and Francis)          
		http://www.routledge.com/	

	Springer          
		http://www.springer.com	

	Wiley-Blackwell          
		http://www.blackwellpublishing.com	

OTHER SUPPORTING PUBLISHERS	

	@mazing Publications

	Association of Editors of the Journal of Portuguese Linguistics
		http://www.fl.ul.pt/revistas/JPL/JPLweb.htm 

	Graduate Linguistic Students' Association, Umass
		http://glsa.hypermart.net/ 

	International Pragmatics Assoc.
		http://www.ipra.be 

	Langues et Linguistique
		http://y.ennaji.free.fr/fr/ 

	Linguistic Association of Finland
		http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/sky/ 

	Netherlands Graduate School of Linguistics / Landelijke - LOT
		http://www.lotpublications.nl/ 

	SIL International
		http://www.ethnologue.com/bookstore.asp 

	St. Jerome Publishing Ltd
		http://www.stjerome.co.uk 

	Utrecht institute of Linguistics
		http://www-uilots.let.uu.nl/ 

-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-19-1378	