A Very Long-Distance Dependency: On the Evaluative Verb Reduplicative Construction
Vol. 51 No. 3 9/2021
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Title |
A Very Long-Distance Dependency: On the Evaluative Verb Reduplicative Construction |
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Author |
Lau Seng-hian |
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Genre |
Article |
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Pages |
587-632 |
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DOI |
10.6503/THJCS.202109_51(3).0005 |
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Download |
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Language |
English |
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Key words |
long-distance dependency, evaluativity, verb reduplication, Taiwanese |
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Abstract |
This study aims to provide an analysis of the ViViN construction in Taiwanese, which is obligatorily accompanied by a negative evaluative reading on the post-verbal noun. Based on observations including the citation tone on the final syllable of the reduplicative verb form and the form’s relative positions with modals and manner adverbs, we suggest that the verb has moved to a higher position without leaving the vP. Also based on the indispensability of the post-verbal noun and the fact that the post-verbal noun cannot be preposed, we propose that an uninterpretable evaluative feature moves from the NP to the edge of the DP phase and then to that of the vP phase, in order to value the head of the Eval(uative)P (based on Pesetsky & Torrego (2007)). Ostensibly, this construction with a very long-distance dependency poses a problem for phase theory (Chomsky 2001, 2008), but the problem can be solved by Move-F in a relaying-style scheme to accomplish the Agree. |