What is it about?
The question whether separable words are compound words or phrases in Mandarin has not been solved. Building upon previous research, this study selects verb-complement structures as its focal point. Based on the number of internally insertable elements, these structures are categorized into verb-complement compounds, verb-complement compact structures, verb-complement loose structures, and verb-complement phrases. The study compares the processing similarities and differences between the four types of structures with and without inter-component spacing in a behaviour experiment. The results showed that the processing of verb-complement compact structures closely resembles that of words, while the processing of loose structures embodies characteristics of both compounds and phrases, yet differs from both words and phrases. This study demonstrates that based on the degree of internal expansion, separable words can be further classified into subcategories, existing in a transitional state between words and phrases, forming a continuous continuum with compounds and phrases.
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Why is it important?
The differentiation between words and phrases in Mandarin Chinese has been a crucial issue in modern Chinese studies. Within this realm, separable words, as a peculiar phenomenon, have garnered significant attention. There exist various opinions regarding whether separable words should be classified as words or phrases. This study investigated four types of verb-compliment structures in Mandarin to figure out the categories that separable words belong to and examined different opinions. This study deepens our understanding of separable words in Mandarin and also our understanding of the basic unit of Mandarin.
Perspectives
The separable words in Mandarin have connected and disconnected states, which is a very interesting phenomenon. I have been following this phenomenon for a long time. So, I am happy to explore the separable words in Mandarin through an empirical study. What's even happier is that this study has gone through the epidemic period and can ultimately be published smoothly. Thanks for the support and contribution of my co-author, my students, the editor of this special issue, and the editors of John Benjamins.
Quansheng Xia
Nankai University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Are separable words words or phrases?, International Journal of Chinese Linguistics, June 2024, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/ijchl.00021.xia.
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