中文裡有一種特別的結構，稱為動賓複合詞(Verb-object compound)。根 據李與湯普森(Li & Thompson)觀察：從歷史的觀點來看，這種動賓複合 詞是從動賓詞組衍生得來。在本論文中，嘗試以貝克(Baker,1988)的併入 理論(Incorporation Theory)來證明他們的這個觀察。我們認為有一名為 「名詞併入」(Noun Incorporation)的句法移位律對動賓詞組產生作用。 在經過此規律作用後，動詞和它的直接賓語便在句法層次上結合成一帶動 詞性的複雜結構，此外，我們在此理論中，我們主張應加入一條構詞結合 律。此律在名詞併入後作用，把名詞併入後新產生的句法性複雜結構變換 成一構詞單位，即複合詞。這樣的解釋方式不只具有「解釋充份性」 (explanatory adequacy)，而且從歷史的觀點來看此一名詞併入現象，上 述方式也可以妥善地解決一個爭議已久有關動賓複合詞是否可以離合的問 題，以及有關雙重分類的動賓複合詞所造成的難題。藉著這樣的分析，我 們討論了八類動賓結構。這八類恰好形成一個漸次變化。其大抵反映出動 賓結構從詞組變成複合詞的詞彙化過程。至於此八類之間的句法變異，我 們發現其「分類差異」(status variation)與及物性變異(transitivity variation)是一些規律互相競爭(competition)與互補(complementation) 的結果。此現象在謝(Hsieh,1989)的交互作用理論(Interaction Theory) 中早已被指出。而此理論在解釋句法變異上的完善，更證明了我們先前利 用名詞併入方式分析動賓結構是正確的。 / In Mandarin Chinese, there is a special construction called verb-object compounds. It has been observed by Li & Thompson (1981) that the verb-object compounds are derived historically from verb-object phrases. In this thesis, we attempt to verify this observation by means of the Incorporation Theory by Baker (1988). We argue that a syntactic rule, noun incorporation, applies to verb-object phrases and combines the verb and its direct object together to form a syntactic verbal complex. A morphological merging rule is added into the Theory, and applies immediately after the former rule to transform the newly created syntactic construct into a morphological one, a compound. Such and approach not only achieves the explanatory adequacy, but also resolves the long-standing controversies on the expandability of verb-object compounds and the paradox of verb-object compounds with dual status, if we keep a historical view on the process of the noun incorporation. Based on this analysis, the eight types of verb-object constructions form a continuum which roughly reflects a lexicalization process from verb-object phrases to verb-object compounds. As for the syntactic variation--status variation and transitivity variation--among different types verb-object consrtuctions, it is found to be a result of the competition and complementation among some rules, a fact evidenced in Hsieh's (1989) Interaction theory. the success of the interaction account further justifies our incorporation analysis on verb-object construcitons.