上古汉语中用于取消句子独立性的“之”与标句词理论

Predicate-Initial “zhi” in Archaic Chinese and Complementizer Theory

发端于对英语句首that类词语分析的"标句词"是现代语法理论中的重要概念。标句词的内涵外延有狭义广义之分,广义的标句词指标明句子性质和类型的所有功能词语。基于广义标句词定义,上古汉语中用于主谓之间取消句子独立性的"之"可认定为一个标明句子[+从属]特征的标句词。它在"谓头"位置将其所在的句子降级为从属小句。文章认定,汉语特殊的句子中心"谓头"位置为标句词"之[+从属]"提供了一个特有的句中位置,并使之区别于功能类似的英语从属标句词"that[+从属]"和常规上位于句首和句尾的其他标句词。"[+从属]"作为一项弱特征,它可以但并非必须得到核查,也正是这一特定属性合理解释了汉语"之[+从属]"类标句词在上古汉语中隐现较为自由的特点。

Complementizer, which originates from the analyses on ＂that＂ and some other similar clause- initial words in English, is one of the most important conceptions in contemporary grammatical theory. The intension and extension of Complementizer conception both have broad and narrow interpretations. ＂Comple- mentizer＂ in its broad sense refers to any type of functional category that functions to label the characteristics and type of clauses. It is demonstrated in this paper that the predicate-initial ＂zhi＂ （之） in Archaic Chinese, which functions to cancel the independence of a clause, could be identified as a Complementizer that renders a clause [ ＋Dependent]. ＂Zhi＂ in the predicate-initial position functions to down-grade a could-be independent sentence to a dependent subordinate clause. The predicate-initial position which is a type of sentence-head position in Chinese provides an ideal position for Complementizer ＂zhi＂ [ ＋Dependent] to occur and distinguishes it from that[ ＋Dependent] and other Complementizers in sentence-initial/-final positions. As a weak feature, [ ＋Dependent] could but does not have to be checked. It is this very characteristics of the feature that provides a natural explanation for why the occurrence of ＂zhi＂ [ ＋Dependent] is optional but not obligatory in Archaic Chinese.