Where to locate Mandarin localizers?

The paper shows that neither monosyllabic localizers nor disyllabic localizers in Mandarin are postpositions. More importantly, it argues that, contra previous uniform treatments of monosyllabic localizers as postpositions, clitics, or deviates of nouns, monosyllabic localizers in Mandarin in fact serve different functions in different contexts or constructions. Specifically, they can be used as a noun in at least a few limited contexts, as a root in a polymorphemic word, and as a clitic when attached to a full-fledged NP. The paper shows that disyllabic localizers serve similar functions though, unlike monosyllabic localizers, they can be used as regular nouns. The paper thus demonstrates that localizers, whether monosyllabic or disyllabic, can all be analyzed with crosslinguistic notions like "noun," "root," and "clitic." When monosyllabic and disyllabic localizers are used as nouns, they function as independent words. When they are a component of a polymorphemic word, they serve as a nominal root. When they function as a clitic, they are also nominal in nature.

摘要:

本文认为，汉语普通话里的单音节及双音节方位成分（汉语语法书里多称为"方位词"）都不是后置词。更重要的是，文章提出如下观点：之前把单音节方位成分仅仅描述或分析为后置词、附着形式或名词的偏离类都是不太合适的，因为它们在不同的语境或结构中表现出不同的功能和用途。具体而言，单音节方位成分在有限的语境中可用作名词，在多语素词中可以作词根，还可以在跟复杂的名词短语连用时作附着形式。文章指出，尽管双音节方位成分可以作为普通名词来用，它们跟单音节方位成分有类似功能。所以，无论是单音节方位成分还是双音节方位成分，它们都可以用像"名词"、"词根"和"附着形式"这样的跨语言概念来描述和分析。它们单独作名词时是独立的词，它们作多语素词的构词成分时是名词性词根，而它们作附着形式时也可以说具有名词性。