本論文以漢語形容詞為研究對象，在生成語法的框架下，結合喬姆斯基 (1995) 最簡方案中的特徵理論，研究漢語形容詞的詞類地位、其定語和謂語用法、其短語結構，以及比較句的結構和生成過程。 / 論文主要由兩部分組成。第一部分（第二章-第五章）首先評析了Baker (2003) 提出的以結構為依據劃分詞類的合理性，論證了漢語形容詞是一個獨立的詞類，在做定語和謂語時結構上有別於動詞，但在短語結構上和名詞、動詞相似。其次，我們採用den Dikken, Gu and Guo (2010) 的分析，提出形容詞具有不可釋義的[比較]特徵，解釋了形容詞在不同語境下的釋義。具有匹配特徵的“程度“中心語投射出程度短語DegP，為核查不可釋義的[比較]特徵提供核查域。最後，我們提出等級和非等級形容詞的差別並非來源於詞庫，而是源於“等級“中心語的投射GrdP。等級中心語含“等級性“，其投射區分等級和非等級形容詞，正如Borer (2005a) 提出的量詞中心語所含的“分割性“投射量詞短語區分可數和不可數名詞。因此，形容詞嵌套在兩層功能範疇裏：[[subscriptDegP] Deg [[subscriptGrdP] Grd [A]]]。 / 論文第二部分(第六章 第七章) 以比較句的結構和生成過程為研究對象，提出比較句中的兩個比較項為名詞性短語，和等級形容詞構成謂語關係，證實了漢語的比較句為“個體“比較 (Kennedy 2009)。在den Dikken, Gu and Guo (2010) 對漢語形容詞做謂語的分析的基礎上，我們進一步提出比較句中形容詞的“比較“釋義來自於“比較“運算元，程度中心語表達一個三維關係，引發一個程度短語嵌套結構：程度中心語首先和形容詞結合，其次和差異短語結合，最後和比較標準短語結合。程度中心語在比較句中有兩個語音實現：“出“ 和“一樣“，分別生成差比句和等比句。在沒有“比較運算元的情況下，程度中心語語音實現為"很"，生成謂語句，從而統一解釋了由三個中心語的投射生成的差比句、等比句以及一般謂語句。此外，程度中心語的三個語音實現將形容詞的釋義劃分為“比較“ 和“肯定“兩個語義區，進一步統一解釋了程度修飾語的分類及分佈。 / The area of study in this thesis is the adjectival domain in Chinese. Working within the generative paradigm and incorporating the feature theory in the minimalist program (Chomsky 1995) into the study, this thesis addresses the following issues of adjectives: the categorial status, the attributive and predicative uses, the phrase structure, and the internal structure and derivation of comparative constructions. / The thesis mainly consists of two parts. In the first part (Chapter 2-Chapter 5), a structure based criterion for lexical categorization proposed by Baker (2003) is justified and adopted. Chinese adjectives are argued to form an independent category, different structurally from verbs in the attributive and predicative uses but parallel to nouns and verbs in the phrase structure. Following den Dikken, Gu and Guo (2010), a formal uninterpretable feature [CPR] (for 'comparative') associated with adjectives is motivated to capture the interpretational differences of adjectives in different contexts, and the Deg head with a matching feature projects DegP to provide the feature checking domain for the structure to converge. Adopting Borer's (2005a) theory of lexical decomposition, it is argued that nongradable and gradable adjectives are distinguished in the structure. A functional head Grd (for 'gradability') is posited to merge with the adjective phrase projecting GrdP to express the gradability of adjectives in a similar way as the projection of ClP expressing 'divisibility' of nouns. Adjectives are thus proposed to be embedded into two layers of the functional projections of GrdP and DegP: [[subscriptDegP] Deg [[subscriptGrdP] Grd [A]]]. / The second part (Chapter 6-Chapter 7) is concerned with the internal structure and derivation of comparative constructions. It is argued that the compared elements are nominals of which the gradable adjectives predicate and Chinese comparatives are parameterized into individual comparison in the sense of Kennedy (2009). Proceeding along the line of den Dikken, Gu and Guo (2010), it is further argued that the comparative operator COMP adjoined to DegP is responsible for the comparative semantics of adjectives in comparative constructions and it has repercussions for the choice of the Deg head. In its presence, the Deg head expresses a triadic relation, provoking a DegP shell structure: the Deg head combines with the adjective first, then with a differential phrase and finally with a standard phrase. Two instantiations of the Deg head are proposed: CHU ('exceed') and yiyang ('same'), the former giving rise to comparatives of superiority and the latter to comparatives of equality. In its absence, the Deg head is instantiated by a semantically bleached degree adverb hen, yielding the positive reading of the adjectives and positive constructions. As a result, the three instantiations of the Deg head unify comparative constructions as well as positive constructions into one structure. Meanwhile, the three instantiations of the Deg head split the interpretations of adjectives into two semantic zones: a positive zone and a comparative zone, which have further implications on the classification and distributions of degree adverbs. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Guo, Jie. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-277). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 論文摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.ix / List of Abbreviations --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Setting the scene --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research questions and the theoretical framework --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Adjectives--A Universal Lexical Category --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Adjectives as a subcategory of nouns and verbs --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Adjectives as a separate lexical category --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Concept and function based categorization of lexical categories --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Feature based categorization of lexical categories --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Structure based categorization of lexical categories --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Verbs --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Nouns --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2.3.3 --- Adjectives --- p.30 / Chapter 2.3 --- Evaluations of the categoriality of adjectives --- p.35 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Categorial Status of Chinese Adjectives --- p.47 / Chapter 3.1 --- A subcategory of verbs --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2 --- Separating adjectives from verbs --- p.49 / Chapter 3.3 --- Adjective attribution in Chinese --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary --- p.76 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Adjective Predication in Chinese --- p.78 / Chapter 4.1 --- Facts about adjective predicates in Chinese --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2 --- Previous analyses --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- A type-shifter analysis --- p.83 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Tense anchoring analyses --- p.84 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- An operator licensing analysis --- p.91 / Chapter 4.3 --- Feature analysis --- p.94 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Motivating features of gradable adjectives --- p.94 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Licensing the null Deg --- p.101 / Chapter 4.4 --- Why operators matter --- p.106 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.110 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Degree Expressions and the Projection of Adjectives --- p.112 / Chapter 5.1 --- Degree expressions: Modifiers, or heads, or both? --- p.114 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- From modifiers to heads --- p.114 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Challenges to the unifying analysis of the degree expressions --- p.118 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Distributions of the degree expressions --- p.122 / Chapter 5.2 --- Semantics of gradable adjectives --- p.127 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- A relational analysis of gradable adjectives --- p.127 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- A measure function analysis of gradable adjectives --- p.131 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Interpretation of the bare adjectives --- p.133 / Chapter 5.3 --- Projecting the adjectives --- p.136 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Gradable-nongradable distinction of adjectives --- p.136 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Count-mass distinction of nouns --- p.139 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Functional projections of adjectives --- p.141 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.147 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- The Status of the Compared Elements in Chinese Comparatives --- p.148 / Chapter 6.1 --- The compared elements in comparatives --- p.152 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- A complex structure of the compared elements --- p.152 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- A simplex structure of the compared elements --- p.160 / Chapter 6.2 --- The compared elements as nominals --- p.169 / Chapter 6.3 --- Implications --- p.182 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Puzzles about Chinese comparatives resolved --- p.183 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Parameterized individual comparison of Chinese comparatives --- p.186 / Chapter 6.3.2.1 --- Implicit vs. explicit comparison --- p.186 / Chapter 6.3.2.2 --- Individual vs. degree comparison --- p.189 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary --- p.192 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- The Internal Structure and Derivation of Chinese Comparatives --- p.193 / Chapter 7.1 --- The Internal structure of Chinese comparatives --- p.194 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Bi as a functional head --- p.195 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Bi as a light verb --- p.207 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Bi as a preposition --- p.217 / Chapter 7.1.4 --- Transitive comparatives --- p.222 / Chapter 7.1.5 --- An interim summary --- p.225 / Chapter 7.2 --- A new analysis --- p.226 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- COMP operator, Deg head and DegP --- p.227 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- The derivation of Chinese comparatives --- p.236 / Chapter 7.3 --- Consequences --- p.241 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- Problems solved --- p.241 / Chapter 7.3.2 --- Distributions of the degree expressions revisited --- p.243 / Chapter 7.3.2.1 --- Classifications of the degree expressions --- p.243 / Chapter 7.3.2.2 --- A unifying analysis of the degree expressions --- p.248 / Chapter 7.4 --- Summary --- p.254 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Conclusion --- p.255 / References --- p.259

published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1964 I26 / Master of Science

No description available.

The setting up of the lexical category ‘adjective’ in Chinese has been a controversial topic in linguistics. This is due to the phenomenon that in Chinese, among the group of words which denote properties of noun phrases, there is a notable amount manifesting the characteristics of verbs. That is, they can be potentially qualified as both verbs and adjectives. Over the years, studies on syntactic distributional patterns and semantics on this group of words have been carried out in order to address the problem. However, a theory which adequately describes this multifunctional category in the Chinese language still seems to be lacking. To shed light on the issue, the current thesis investigates the behavior of words which are potentially considered as ‘adjectives’ occurring naturally in a Cantonese-English bilingual child’s corpus data. Patterns of child language development can provide a new perspective to the adjective-verb controversy in Cantonese from the viewpoint of language acquisition. At the same time, they might review whether interference between English and Cantonese occur. In this thesis, the use of adjectival verbs for attribution and predication, and the manner of their being modified are discussed. While the results in our data set do not show that English has prominent influence on the development of Cantonese in our subject, one of our major findings is that the distributional pattern of adjectival verbs in the child’s Cantonese is predominantly predicative. The current results contrast with theories supporting attributive use of adjectives as being the prototype. / published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study the adjective constructions in Tshiven~a are investigated within a set of criteria in order to characterize the adjectival category and to differentiate it from other categories. An adjective can be defined as a word which modifies a noun that prototypically denotes visible or tangible objects. Different linguists give different accounts which deal with criteria for adjectives where they give attention to prototype and certain multiple criteria. Dixon establishes seven different semantic types under which the adjectives can be grouped, e.g. one of them is dimension. It has been established by Schachter that there are languages that have no adjectives at all, in which the meanings that they express are conveyed by nouns or verbs. In other words what is universal is not adjectives but to modify, or elaborate on the meaning of a noun. Morphological adjectives are marked by a noun class prefix on the adjectival stem. The prefix agrees in class with the noun to which it refers. Morphological adjective can appear attributively and predicatively. When adjectives are used attributively in Tshivenda they usually appear as " complements of a noun. But when they are used predicatively, they occur in copulative constructions. Syntactic evidence relates to the fact that different categories of words have different distributions. Adjective can not be identified by looking at it in isolation, because the form of a word does not necessarily indicate its syntactic function. Descriptive possessives as semantic adjectives describe the noun they refer to in a way that is different to that of possessives. The descriptive part can be shown as the head of the noun and can also be shown as a complement of possessive [-a-] where they indicate location, time, event and gender. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word die adjektief konstruksie in Tshivenda ondersoek binne die raamwerk van 'n stel kriteria met die doelom 'n karakterisering te gee van die adjektief kategorie en om dit te onderskei van ander kategorieë. 'n Adjektief kan gedefinieer word as 'n woord wat 'n naamwoord bepaal wat prototipies verwys na konkrete voorwerpe. Linguiste gee verskillende aannames wat handeloor kriteria vir adjektiewe waarin hulle aandag gee aan prototipe en sekere meervoudige kriteria. Dixon het sewe verskillende semantiese tipes bepaal waaronder adjektiewe gegroepeer kan word bv. een daarvan is dimensie. Daar is vasgestel deur Schachter dat daar tale is wat geen adjektiewe het nie waarin die betekenisse wat hulle uitdruk gedra word deur naamwoorde of werkwoorde. Wat dus universeel is, is nie adjektiewe nie maar om die betekenis van 'n woord te modifieer. Morfologiese adjektiewe is gemerk deur 'n naamwoord klasprefiks op die adjektiefstam. Die prefiks kom ooreen in klas met die naamwoord waarna dit verwys. Morfologiese adjektiewe kan attributief en predikatief voorkom. Wanneer adjektiewe attributief gebruik word, verskyn hulle as komplement van die naamwoord. Maar wanneer hulle predikatief gebruik word kom hulle voor in kopulatief konstruksies. In sintaksis kan verskillende kategorieë van woorde verskillende distribusies hê. Adjektiewe kan nie geïdentifiseer word deur na dit te kyk in isolasie want die vorm van In woord dui nie noodwendig sy sintaktiese funksie aan. Deskriptiewe possessiewe as semantiese adjektiewe beskryf die naamwoord waarna hulle verwys op 'n wyse wat verskillend is van dié van possessiewe. Die deskriptiewe deel kan aangetoon word as die kern van die naamwoord groep en kan ook aangetoon word as In komplement van die possessiewe [-a-] waar hulle plek, tyd, gebeurtenis en geslag aandui.

No description available.

This thesis examines linguistic similarities and differences between the Russian and Ukrainian languages regarding the word formation of adjectives referring to place names (toponyms). Using contrastive analysis for analyzing the database composed of approximately 1500 shared toponyms, information is presented revealing the use of appropriate derivational paradigms. Tables are provided illustrating important characteristics of toponym stem-endings and the acquisition of their corresponding suffixes. This information culminates in a better understanding of the proper use within each language for the 25 Russian and 18 Ukrainian suffixes used in the derivational models, and its application within language. Analyzing derivational paradigms of these two investigated languages, I found 15 similar and 7 different models resulting from the word formation process. This information brings a clearer picture for both languages on how derivational paradigms are used in the proper formation of adjectives.

1. In the book by K. Aleknavičius „Pasakos pritikimaj weselos ir giesmes“, issued in Vilnius in 1861, a noun is used much more abundantly (~4119 forms) as is an adjective (~724 forms). 2. The book by K.Aleknavičius „Pasakos pritikimaj weselos ir giesmes“ is written using the Eastern version of the writings language. 3. There are plenty of slavisms in the poetry collection by K.Aleknavičius „Pasakos pritikimaj weselos ir giesmes“, as it is characteristic to the writings of that period. 4. The nouns and adjectives, found in the book, are compared to the dialect of the Eastern Highland Lithuanians, and nouns and adjectives of the modern common language, their paradigms are reconstructed. 5. The biography of K.Aleknavičius is reviewed and the section, named „The characteristics of the orthography“, is presented. 6. This morphological study reveals the situation of non-religious writings of the Eastern Highland Lithuanian dialect, there is also data provided on various old and till now unaltered forms of denominatives (nouns and adjectives) and their usage. 7. K.Aleknavičius’ work „Pasakos pritikimaj weselos ir giesmes“ is written using the dialect of the Eastern Highland Lithuanians, however the text of the book from the viewpoint of orthography, phonetics and morphology is not consistent. 8. There are types of masculine, feminine and composite declension found in the book. 9. There are plenty of personal names and place-names in the poetical texts of the book, for example:... [to full text]

A basic principle of object individuation--that predicables (or adjectival, verbal, or prepositional expressions) do not individuate--gives rise to a competence theory related to their interpretation. It is that we interpret predicables as sub-kinds of the kinds that type them. Evidence of children's competence in this matter is reviewed. Two experiments are presented, exploring the sensitivity of 20 children, aged 2;11 to 3;11 (mean 3;6), to changes in adjective interpretation across unrelated and related kinds. For instance, children were tested on their understanding that a nonsense adjective picked out sub-kinds of toy bears and balls on the basis of unrelated attributes. They were also tested on their understanding that the opposites "big" and "little" could describe the same individual object when typed by basic level and superordinate level kinds (e.g. that a little bat could be a big toy). Children's responses were near perfect, indicating that the basic logical framework for predicable interpretation used by adults is in place by age three.