Resultativity and Mandarin Chinese Directional Verb Compounds

Sebastian Wielosz

doi:10.18290/rh24729.7

Published : 2024-12-03

Vol. 72 No. 9 (2024)

Resultativity and Mandarin Chinese Directional Verb Compounds

Sebastian Wielosz

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh24729.7

Abstract

Resultativity in natural language is closely tied to the category of aspect. It is semantically close to the perfective aspect, so it often receives little attention. The focus of this discussion is primarily on syntax, specifically how this category is realised in a sentence. Due to the typological differences between Mandarin Chinese and English or other Indo-European languages, the description of resultatives has to be oriented towards Chinese syntax, particularly Resultative Verb Compounds (RVCs). In addition to these verb-complement syntagmas, Directional Verb Compounds (DVCs) are also common in MC. Although directionality is not typically considered a category related to aspect or resultativity, there are visible similarities between Chinese RVCs and DVCs. This article aims to provide a general framework that outlines these categories and similarities between them. The semantic approach is especially relevant to this discussion, which adopts a basis of semantic research combined with cognitive linguistics.

Keywords:

complement, resultative, directionality, RVC, DVC, Mandarin Chinese

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