A semantic study of Mandarin cai as a focus adverb in simple sentences

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Abstract

This paper examines the use of cai as a focus adverb in simple sentences. Cai as a focus adverb is supported by the three properties it demonstrated, of which König [1] argues to be the distinctive properties of focus particles. As a focus adverb, cai demonstrates the unique property of being flexible in its direction of association, with its associated item possibly being an element either to its right or to its left, or even the entire sentence. Focal mapping will then be triggered, giving the tripartite partition of Operator [Background] [Focus], in which focus is mapped to the nuclear scope and the rest of the sentence, with focus replaced by a variable, to the background. Besides, it is its direction of association that determines the scalar or non-scalar use of cai, though context still plays a role. In its scalar use, the quantificational domain of cai will be determined by the relevant scale.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationChinese Lexical Semantics - 13th Workshop, CLSW 2012, Revised Selected Papers
Pages685-695
Number of pages11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes
Event13th Chinese Lexical Semantics Workshop, CLSW 2012 - Wuhan, China
Duration: 6 Jul 20128 Jul 2012

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume7717 LNAI
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference13th Chinese Lexical Semantics Workshop, CLSW 2012
Country/TerritoryChina
CityWuhan
Period6/07/128/07/12

Keywords

  • Focal mapping
  • Focus adverb cai
  • Focus association
  • Scale
  • Tripartite structure

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