比较视野下的石柱方言定指“名数量”短语

The Definite N-(Num)-Cl Phrase of Shizhu Dialect from a Comparative Perspective

重庆石柱方言以“数量名”作为其名词性结构的基本语序,同时使用“名数量”的变异语序来专职表示定指。平行现象在其他一些方言/语言,如遵义方言、孟加拉语及阿萨姆语中也能观察到。汉语西南官话与南亚的印欧语之间尽管没有接触及亲缘关系,但它们都以改变名词性结构内部语序的方式来表示定指。该共性不能仅归咎于巧合。通过比较不同语言/方言中类似定指策略在句法上的共性与个性,石柱方言定指“名数量”短语所表现出的一系列现象,如“一”的简省及大数目限制等,都能够得到较为简明的解释。石柱方言定指“名数量”短语是短语移位的结果,而遵义方言定指“名量”短语则来自于中心语移位。在与孟加拉语及阿萨姆语进行比较的基础上,可以认为石柱方言定指“名数量”短语的大数目限制是由不同数词的语义特征区别造成的,这种特征区别在句法上也有明显的体现。

This paper analyzes the DP structure in Shizhu dialect, a variant of Southwestern Mandarin with little previous documentation. Both Num>Cl>N and N>Num>Cl orders can be attested in Shizhu dialect. The former is the basic order like any other Chinese dialects while the latter is used specifically for definite readings: ■Interestingly, similar phenomena can be found in Bangla and Asamiya, two Indo-Aryan languages spoken in South Asia, and Zunyi dialect, another variant of Southwestern Mandarin mutually intelligible to Shizhu dialect. Based on careful comparison between different dialects/languages, this paper gives an explanation of how syntactic phenomena like one-deletion and higher numeral constraint operate in Shizhu dialect. The definite NP-Num-Cl phrase in Shizhu dialect is derived by phrasal movement, where the NP is moved leftwards from the complement position of ClP to a higher position, say, SpecDP, which is to the left of D;, whereas the definite N-Cl phrase in Zunyi can only be analyzed as an instance of head movement, where it is N that moves, not NP. In addition, it is proposed that the higher numeral constraint in Shizhu dialect is caused by the different semantic features of different numerals, and this contrast is clearly reflected in syntax. Yi ‘one’, liang ‘some’(originally ‘two’) and ji ‘some’ occupy head positions as heads, whereas higher numerals are merged in specifier positions as projections. Therefore, the higher numeral constraint in Shizhu can be naturally accounted for by Relativized Minimality. Since the phenomenon that different relative orders between nouns and numeral-classifiers can be used to express different referential meanings is found in historically unrelated languages spoken in two areas that are geographically remote from each other, the analysis provided by this paper is hopefully to be of much typological importance.