Abstract
This paper focuses on the process of decategorization of bai from synchronic and diachronic perspectives by studying the nominal bai, the adjectival bai, and the adverbial bai in Mandarin. The central assertion is that the adverbial bai, with an implicit negative meaning in Mandarin, is the result of the evolutional process of decategorization applied to the nominal bai, i.e., a colour term for white. First, the basic evolution path of bai is traced by studying the semantic evolution of its different parts of speech. Second, it is proved that the evolution path of bai is a process of decategorization resulting from changes in the functions of bai caused by semantic overgeneralization and the lack of independence in a syntactic category.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The following abbreviations are used in this paper: Adv = adverb; Asp = aspect marker; Aux = auxiliary verb; Cl = classifier; Conj = conjunction; Mod = modal particle; Neg = negation; Prep = preposition; Pron = pronoun; Quan = quantifier; Stru = structural auxiliary.
References
Guo, L.: The adverb bai and baibai in Proto-Mandarin. J. Chin. Linguist. 3, 230–244 (1988). (in Chinese)
Hopper, P.J., Thompson, S.A.: The discourse basis for lexical categories in universal grammar. Language 60(4), 703–752 (1984)
Ma, S., Shen, P.: The adverb bai in a dream of red mansions and the heroine. Stud. Chin. Lang. 6, 461–463 (1981). (in Chinese)
Rizzi, L.: The fine structure of the left periphery. In: Haegeman, L. (ed.) Elements of Grammar, pp. 281–377. Dordrecht Kluwer (1997)
Yang, R.: The interpretation and origin of the adverbial bai in modern Chinese. In: Grammaticalization and Grammar Study, vol. 3. Commercial Press, Beijing (2007)
Yuan, Y.: Conception-driven and syntax-directed constructions and construal of sentences: a case study of the interpretation of sentences with the adverb bai. Stud. Chin. Lang. 362, 402–417 (2014). (in Chinese)
Zeng, J., Yuan, Y.: The study on the implicit negative meaning of bai in Chinese. Macao J. Linguist. 46(2), 4–14 (2015a). (in Chinese)
Zeng, J., Yuan, Y.: The implicit negation and Counter-Expectation of bai in mandarin Chinese. In: Lu, Q., Gao, H. (eds.) Chinese Lexical Semantics. CLSW 2015. LNCS, vol. 9332, pp. 47–61. Springer, Cham (2015b). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27194-1_6
Zeng, J., Yuan, Y.: A Study on the Counter-expectation and Semantic Construal. In: Wu, Y., Hong, J.F., Su, Q. (eds.) Chinese Lexical Semantics. CLSW 2017. LNCS, vol. 10709, pp. 17–26. Springer, Cham (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73573-3_2
Acknowledgments
We thank the anonymous reviewer for the helpful comments and suggestions. This work was supported by funds from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M670191) and the Youth Teacher Fund Project of Beijing Normal University (310422133).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Zeng, J., Yuan, Y. (2021). Functional Diffusion and Decategorization of Bai: From a Colour Term to an Implicit Negative Adverb. In: Liu, M., Kit, C., Su, Q. (eds) Chinese Lexical Semantics. CLSW 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12278. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81197-6_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81197-6_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-81196-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-81197-6
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)