本論文考察漢語普通話中一種特殊的名詞化短語 (derived nominal) ，旨在解釋其中心語的詞類和論元結構的形成機制。本文的研究表明，詞類和論元結構不是儲存於詞庫中的詞彙信息，而是在句法中衍生，由句法結構決定的。 / 與本文研究關係最緊密的是带有論元結構的名詞化短語。前人的研究 (如 Marantz 1997) 认为，論元結構由動詞投射決定，故有論元結構的名詞化短語中包含動詞短語投射vP。本文的研究支持這一觀點。本文發現，英語中有論元結構的名詞化短語，既可以由表達有終點事件 (telic) 的動詞形成，也可以由表達無自然終點事件 (atelic) 的動詞形成，但是普通話只允許前者。這一差别可歸結于兩個原因：普通話是量詞型語言 (classifier language)，而英語不是；普通話中被名詞化的結構不同。普通話名詞短語中有Cl(assifier) 投射。有終點的事件本身是可數的，所以，普通話中表示有終點的動詞能形成带有論元結構的名詞化短語。英語不是量詞型語言，無Cl投射，所以英語带有論元結構的名詞化短語不要求動詞表達的事件有終點。因此，英語中表達事件有無終點的動詞都可以形成有論元結構的名詞化短語。普通話和英語的對比支持名詞化短語中存在vP投射。此外，普通話中被名詞化的動詞投射只包括動詞和動詞的內論元，這可以解釋為什麼普通話带有論元結構的名詞化短語只有一個論元。 / 上文所述的分析，同時表明带有論元結構的名詞化短語中，其（語義上的）中心語是由動詞在句法中经由名詞化得來的。由此看出，詞類是句法衍生的，而不是在詞庫中決定的。本文對普通話名詞化短語的研究表明，句法決定詞類和論元結構。 / The thesis aims at accounting for the realization of word category and argument structure in a type of Mandarin derived nominals. The properties of Mandarin derived nominals are attributed to functional projections, showing that it is syntactic structures rather than lexical information that determine word category and argument structure. / The crucial data are derived nominals with argument structure, namely “AS-nominals“. The analysis of Mandarin AS-nominals supports the view that the arguments of AS-nominals are introduced by vP (e.g., Marantz 1997). The novel observation is that while English AS-nominals can be derived from verbs denoting both telic and atelic events, Mandarin AS-nominals are exclusively based on verbs denoting telic events. The contrast of the AS-nominals in the two languages lies in two factors: the availability of classifiers and the type of verbal projection to be nominalized. As Mandarin is a classifier (Cl) language, there are both Cl and v projections in Mandarin AS-nominals. As telic events are inherently countable, verbs denoting telic events can combine with classifiers and form AS-nominals in Mandarin. Since English is not a classifier language, there is no Cl in English AS-nominals; thus, there is no boundedness/telicity requirement for v. Consequently, verbs denoting both telic and atelic events can form AS-nominals in English. Moreover, the nominalizing morpheme in Mandarin AS-nominals selects a minimal verbal projection (a VP with only the innermost argument and the verb). This accounts for our observation that Mandarin AS-nominals involve only the internal argument of the verb. / The analysis above also indicates that the head noun of AS-nominals is nominalized from a verb in syntax. In other words, word category is derived in syntax rather than stored as lexical information. The study of Mandarin derived nominals exemplifies the role of syntax in the construction of meaning, which is traditionally attributed to lexical information, including word category and argument structure. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Yang, Jing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-162). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 論文提要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.v / List of Abbreviations --- p.vi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Theoretical background --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research objectives --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.14 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Different approaches to derived nominals --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1 --- Transformationalist approach --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Lexicalist approach --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Chomsky (1970) --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Inflection and derivation --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Grimshaw (1990) --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3 --- Syntactic approach --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Underlying VPs --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- The structure of English derived nominals and gerundive nominals --- p.35 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Boundedness in the nominal and verbal domain --- p.45 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.55 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Derived nominals in Mandarin --- p.57 / Chapter 3.1 --- Observation and generalization --- p.58 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Preliminary observation of Mandarin derived nominals --- p.60 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- The derived NOUN --- p.65 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- The argument structure of derived nominals --- p.71 / Chapter 3.2 --- Mandarin AS-nominals cast in the lexicalist approach --- p.81 / Chapter 3.3 --- Mandarin AS-nominals cast in the syntactic approach --- p.85 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Fu (1994) --- p.85 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Simpson (2002) --- p.92 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Mandarin de as a determiner --- p.96 / Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.107 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- The structure of Mandarin derived nominals --- p.109 / Chapter 4.1 --- Mandarin derived nominals in the DM framework --- p.110 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Mandarin classifiers --- p.110 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- The underlying VP --- p.114 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Mandarin AS-nominals --- p.117 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- simple event nominals and result nominals --- p.126 / Chapter 4.1.5 --- Psych nouns --- p.129 / Chapter 4.2 --- Counterevidence to our proposal --- p.131 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Events and facts --- p.133 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Mandarin gerundive nominals and event-denotation --- p.135 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary --- p.138 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion --- p.140 / Bibliography --- p.150

In light of the observation made by Bowers (1991: 19) that Mandarin classifiers are phonetic realization of a functional head Nm, whose semantic function is to turn properties into propositional functions, it is postulated that classifiers in Nuosu Yi can also be identified as this type of predication operator (Pr). / The classifier in Nuosu Yi can appear in possessives. Its function is to link the possessor noun and possessed noun and form a possession relation between them. However, Pr in Nuosu Yi possessives may not always be realized as a CL. When a Nuosu Yi speaker does not want to specify the number of the possessed item, he will not use classifiers to link the possessor and the possessed noun. In this case, Pr has no phonetic realization. Based on this observation, we propose that classifiers in East Asian classifier languages are likely to be grammaticalized into Pr, but this grammaticalization path is not unitary. Besides classifiers, Pr may take on other forms such as possessive marker ge in Cantonese, possessive marker de in Mandarin, possessive marker a in Jingpo, and an empty possessive marker in Nuosu Yi. / The conclusion of this thesis is that possessive markers and relative markers are indeed of the same syntactic category Pr and they come into narrow syntax computation (from Numeration to LF) in the same manner. / The nature of predication within complex nominals is studied through examination of the syntax and semantics of possessive and relative constructions in Nuosu Yi. The proposed theory is also shown to be applicable to Mandarin, Cantonese, and Jingpo. / The whole picture of the complex nominal structure in Yi is further complicated by the cooccurrence of su and a classifier with a RC. In this case, su is analyzed as a D-element. The real predication operator is still the classifier. / When classifiers serve as RC markers in Nuosu Yi, we are able to tell the exact number of the relativized item. When a Nuosu Yi speaker does not want to specify the exact number of the relativized item, he will use the morpheme su. Semantically, it does not specify the number of the relativized noun, but it renders the relativized noun definite. We propose that this morpheme su is a definite article D, which plays a deciding role in encoding the definiteness of the whole complex nominal which contains a RC. The relative clause marker, in this case, is a phonetically null element. / Liu, Hongyong. / "November 2006." / Adviser: Yang Gu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3369. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-245). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.