Expos=?iso-8859-1?Q?=E9_?=Xu-Ping Li Classifiers in Wu Chinese

[Patricia Cabredo Hofherr]

Les projets de la Fédération TUL

Structure Argumentale et Structure Aspectuelle

Langues avec Articles – Langues sans Articles

et l’UMR 7023 Structures Formelles du Langage – Equipe Architecture
Grammaticale

ont le plaisir de vous inviter à un exposé de

XuPing Li (CRLAO, EHESS)

Definite uses of classifiers in Wu Chinese : the correlation between
information structure and domain restriction

Date : le lundi 28 novembre 2011

Heure : 10h – 12h

Lieu :  Université de Paris 8 Vincennes – Saint Denis,
Bâtiment D, salle D143

Plan d’accès : http://www.umr7023.cnrs.fr/Plans-d-acces,672.html


Abstract

Definite uses of classifiers in Wu Chinese:
the correlation between domain restriction and information structure
XuPing Li

Sinotype project, EHESS

In some Chinese languages (e.g.  Shanghainese and Cantonese), classifiers
can be used independent of numerals and the “Cl+N” construction can be
interpreted either as definite or indefinite. Some researchers suggest
that the classifiers on the definite use are the “iota” operator, and
definite classifiers are parallel to the English definite article ‘the’.
In this talk, we present data from a variant of Wu Chinese (the Fuyang
dialect), showing that the definite classifiers are restricted to
preverbal positions and that the definiteness encoded by classifiers is
context-dependent, e.g. dependent on the topichood of the entity referred
to by “Cl+N”. The following three arguments will be made in the talk:

(i)     Indefinite “Cl+N” are classifier phrases in nature (ClPs), which
behave like Heimian type of existential-variables, and that definite
“Cl+N” are DPs, in which the classifier undergoes Cl-to-D raising.

(ii)   Definiteness expressed by “Cl+N” is related to its topicality. We
claimed that the definite uses of classifiers in Chinese are characterized
with Craige’s (2003) “weak familiarity”, since they all require
“situational-ostension”.

(iii) The weak familiarity can be represented by von Fintel’s (1994)
domain restriction and C-variable and it is a part of the semantics of
definite “Cl+N”.




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