This dissertation aims at constructing a description of reduplication in Old Chinese, developing a
generative theory of morpho-phonological interaction to account for the formation of the
reduplication patterns, and re-examining general reduplication theories and issues of other
linguistic components by drawing lessons from Old Chinese reduplication. The investigation of
the source data reveals that Old Chinese reduplication has four basic patterns: progressive
reduplication with either "smallness" or "vividness", retrogressive pattern with "repetition",
fission reduplication with "specialization", and total reduplication with a vivid impression (a
parasitic sense).
The formation of the reduplication patterns results from the interaction between morphology
and phonology. With motivation from semantics, the monosyllabic base is reduplicated as two
identical syllables, which undergo further modification. 1) Since the reduplicative form with
"diminutive" or "vividness" is semantically undecomposable, OOP (One Syllable One Meaning
Principle) forces the two syllables to sound like one, which is achieved by raising the sonority of
the onset of the second syllable. As such, the progressive pattern arises. 2) For the same reason,
the reduplicative form with "specialization" has the same shape as the progressive at one stage.
Pressure from the system thus compels it to undergo further modification, eventually producing
the fission pattern. 3) The reduplicative form with a vivid impression is not under the control of
OOP; thus it can keep its two identical syllables intact, yielding total reduplication pattern. 4)
Reduplicative verbs are semantically decomposable; thus OOP does not come into effect. That
the form is actually modified stems from the pressure of an already-existent total reduplication
pattern, while this modification of the first rhyme is determined by quasi-iambic stress. This
interaction produces a retrogressive pattern.
This study sheds light on reduplication processes in general and other linguistic issues.
During reduplication, full reduplication occurs first; then the reduplicant is modified. That
reduplication operates on the interface between morphology and phonology is a universal
phenomenon, but how this operation proceeds is language-specific. The consistent distinction
between Type A syllables and Type B syllables seen in Old Chinese reduplication patterns
indicates the unreasonableness of reconstructing a "medial" yod for Old Chinese.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/10919 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Sun, Jingtao |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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