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Article
Mechanisms of Semantic Change in Chinese
Studies in Language (2006)
  • Janet Zhiqun Xing, Western Washington University
Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the mechanism of semantic change in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs. It demonstrates with diachronic and synchronic evidence that subjectification affects every stage of semantic change in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs, a somewhat different pattern from that found in Indo-European languages. It argues that this difference is derived from the typological difference between the structure of Chinese and that of some Indo-European languages, such as Old English.
Keywords
  • Semantics in Chinese
Disciplines
Publication Date
2006
DOI
10.1075/sl.30.3.01xin
Publisher Statement
Published by John Benjamins
Sponsored by the Foundations of Language
Citation Information
Janet Zhiqun Xing. "Mechanisms of Semantic Change in Chinese" Studies in Language Vol. 30 Iss. 3 (2006) p. 461 - 483
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/janet-xing/28/