Semantic-to-Morphological Sequencing: Constraints on Mandarin Serial Motion Predication

This paper aims to probe into the semantic constraints that dictate the morphological make-ups of motion sequences. Given that Mandarin allows serial motion construction with multiple verbal morphemes, it is always an intriguing question as to how the morphemes are combined and ordered. To account for the allowed and disallowed sequences of prototypical motion verbs, three sequencing principles are proposed on par with the Proto-Motion Event Schema proposed in Liu et al. (2015). The proposed principles help to set the semantic boundary of a serial motion sequence (The Boundary-Setting Principle), rule out morphological combinations that are against the default order (the Non-Regressional Principle), and account for the prominence and characteristics of Path in motion predication (the Path-Delimiting Principle). As Path is an integral part of motion, it has to be properly delimited with a Path-delimiting element. These three principles may together account for the multi-morpheme motion sequences whose morphological structures are highly correlated with lexical semantic structures. By characterizing the semantic-to- morphological correlations, the study ultimately shows how morpho-syntactic patterns are motivated and shaped by semantic and functional considerations in operation.

摘要:

文旨在探讨中文移动事件中支配动词序列形态的语意制约原则。鉴千中文可使用多个动词语素来表达移动事件，关千词素间如何组合排列始终是一个有趣并待解决的问题。为了解释典型的移动动词序列，Liu et al. （2015）曾提出中文移动事件的原型基模, 在此基础上, 本文进一步提出支配移动事件的三种排序原则，用以解释常态（允许）与非常态（不允许）的动词序列制约机制。所提出的三个原则有助千界定移动序列的语义范畴（语义范畴设定原则），排除违背常态序列的组合形态（无逆转原则），并可强调路径的显著性和特征预测（路径制约原则）。由千路径是移动事件的必要成分，路径元素成为界定移动事件的关键要素。这三个原则可以解释构词形态与词汇语义间的高度相关性, 提供多语素排列组合的语义机制。通过描述语义与构词序列的互动关连，本研究显示语义功能是激发塑造构词和句法形式的推手, 语义的构成要素直接影响动词词素的排列组合。