汉语合成复合词的构词机制与韵律制约

Morphology of Chinese Synthetic Compounds and Their Prosodic Constraint

汉语合成复合词的构词机制不仅依赖于构词规则,还在很大程度上受到韵律因素的制约。具体说来,汉语中V和O为单音节的合成复合词主要是构词规则作用的结果,上古汉语中表现为OVH型,中古、近现代汉语表现为VOH型。由于韵律因素制约,现代汉语中V和O为双音节的合成复合词,通常无法遵循现代汉语的构词规则,而只能继续沿用上古汉语的构词规则,从而表现为OVH型。此外,缩略构词机制也给现代汉语带来部分OVH型复合词。

Derivation of Chinese synthetic compound depends on not only derivational rules, but is constrained to a great extent, by prosodic rules. To be more specific, compounds with one-syllable V and one-syllable O are derived mainly in accordance with the derivational rules, resulting in OVH pattern in Ancient Chinese and VOH later. However, those with two-syllable V and two-syllable O cannot to be derived in this way due to the prosodic constraint; instead they resort to the directionality parameter of Ancient Chinese, resulting in OVH pattern. Some of them can be abbreviated, resulting in OVH-pattern compounds with one-syllable V and one-syllable O.