Semantic change in the grammaticalization of classifiers in Mandarin 3.Source meaning and classifier meaning Chinese (1) source meaning: the etymological meaning of the lexical item from which Janet Zhiqun Xing the classifier meaning has developed (2) Source meanings are countable, concrete, visible, related to objects, actions or events commonly seen in the ancient world Section 1 Introduction (3) source meaning v.s. classifier meaning: classifies with the same or a 1. Chinese numeral classifier: an individualizer which performs the same similar source meaning may not share common characteristics among their function as a singulative derivational affix in language with the classifier meanings collective/singulative distinction e.g. 條 tree branchlong objects 一條繩子 2. Function: it provides a way to individualize and classify its referent 支 tree branchbranchable concepts 一支部隊 3. Numeral classifiers were derived from “noun1+numeral+noun1” 4. development of classifier meanings: construction. (1) the lexical meaning before a lexeme enters into the grammatical form, 4. semantic change & grammaticalization: “NUM+NP/CL” Grammaticalization: lexical grammatical (2) the classifier meaning in the grammatical form “NUM+CL+NP” concrete/specificabstract/general categorical change: verbal/nominalclassifier meaning Semantic change is one of the major components in the process of grammaticalization. Section 3 Semantic change in grammaticalizaiton 5. (1) What factors trigger the emergence and disappearance of numeral classifiers? 1. Metaphoricalization: an analogical principle involves conceptualizing one (2) What factors lead to semantic change in the grammaticalization of element of a conceptual structure Ca in terms of an element of another conceptual structure Cb. (e.g.本、枝、條) numeral classifiers? 2. Metonymization: a contiguous or logical relation between two conceptual 6. [NUM+NP][NUM+NP/CL+NP][NUM+CL+NP] structures/domains (e.g. partwhole; causeresult) (e.g.張、篇、項) concrete abstract filler 3. Reanalysis: change in the structure of an expression or class of expressions that does not involve any immediate or intrinsic modification of its surface Section 2 From lexical to grammatical manifestation (e.g.把、封) 1. The emergence of the Chinese classifier class is a result of both external and the constructional developments. 4. AB: abstractification 2. Classifiers derived from nouns: 個、項 GN: generalization Classifiers derived from verbs: 封、張、件 _____>_____ NM: nominalization TSF: transference and pragmatic) PST: persistence (not change at all) Section 5 Construction grammar, semantic change, and 5. Almost all the lexemes’ semantic functions have become abstracted or grammaticalization generalized in their evolution from nouns/verbs to functional words, a typical 1. Construction Grammar (CG): “is considered a ‘holistic’ framework characteristic of MTPH/MTNM. which emphasizes the uniform representation of form and function and 6. Transference tends to arise from metonymization and semantic reanalysis, states that no one level of grammar, be it syntactic, semantic or whereas persistence does not involve any mechanism of semantic change. phonological, is autonomous. V NP NP Section 4 Disappearance of classifier meaning (give you a present, send you a letter/ write you a letter) 1. General classifier- ge 个 (‘bamboo stalk’> ‘for general usage’): Verb: 皆有”授予”之意 the high frequency of ge 个 in Modern Chinese is derived from its give, send, write…etc. lack of distinctive semantic function. a. 爸爸，我帶你看一东西。 2. In the Chinese classifier- two types of changes: b. 我們报了一专利。 (1) nominalization from verbs c. 吃一桃吧。 (2) grammaticalization from nouns to classifiers Tao (2006) proposes a phono-syntactic account: phonetic erosion When the nouns or verbs are used as a head of a phrase (i.e. a noun This volume: depends on the classifier’s semantic and pragmatic phrase or verb phrase) without a numeral, they convey a nominal function or verbal meaning, but when they are used with a numeral, they a. *一信 can express a classifier meaning {cannot be omitted feng 封(‘letter in an envolope’)} a. 一人持本，一人讀析 (book) 2. Same construction [NUM+NP] in Middle Chinese: nil classifier b. 公德數抄寫一本 (one CL) the classifier class itself was not fully developed c. 既張我弓，即挾我矢。(open) a. 獨見一女子，狀貌非常 d. 子產以帷幕九張行 (nine CL) b. 經一石橋，甚狹而峻。 3. Bisang- “a lexical item in a given position is coerced into a particular the classifier pi 匹 was not semantically conventionalized for semantic interpretation associated with that position.” ‘horses’ 4. Hopper & Traugott define grammaticalization as “the change whereby c. 忽有一客來看之，乘一白馬。 lexical items and constructions come in certain linguistic contexts to the relationship between Modern Chinese and Middle Chinese: serve grammatical function and, once grammaticalized, continue to seems to be triggered by similar linguistic factors (both semantic develop new grammatical functions. .