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E-book
Author Chen, Li, 1983- author.

Title Downward entailing and Chinese polarity items / Li Chen
Published New York : Routledge, 2018
©2018

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Description 1 online resource (x, 121 pages)
Series Frontiers in applied linguistics
Frontiers in applied linguistics.
Contents Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1 Polarity theories and polarity phenomena; 2 Non-veridicality approach and the challenge from dou sentences; 3 Tripartite structure and dou; 4 Downward entailment approach; 5 Dou as a necessity operator; 6 The non-uniformity of Chinese polarity items; 7 Conclusions; References; Index
Summary "Polarity phenomena are pervasively observed in natural languages. Previous studies on Chinese polarity items are mainly in line with the non-veridicality approach. This book, however, employs the downward entailing hypothesis as its analytical foundation, and argues that downward entailment is the only licensor for different kinds of Chinese polarity items, and non-veridicality is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition and thus offers inferior explanatory power compared with the former. To begin with, it lays the groundwork for this research by presenting a brief introduction to polarity phenomena and reviewing the existing relevant theories. Then it addresses the status of the commonly used element dou in Chinese. Specifically, it applies the tripartite structural frame to the studies of dou, and examines the role of dou in licensing the polarity items. Moreover, it investigates the properties and behaviour of dou with respect to modality. Based on the analysis above, it observes that non-interrogative wh-indeterminates in Chinese can be licensed in the restriction domain of a necessity operator. Also, the non-uniformity of three Chinese polarity items, i.e. shenme, na-CL, and renhe, is scrutinized within the downward entailing framework. This book will appeal to scholars, teachers and students in the field of linguistics, especially in the areas of formal semantics and generative grammar. Researchers and engineers in cloud computing and big data who are seeking help from linguistic contribution to meaning and logic will also benefit from it."--Provided by publisher
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Chinese language -- Semantics
Polarity (Linguistics)
Chinese language -- Syntax
Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax.
Applied linguistics.
applied linguistics.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY -- Chinese.
Polarity (Linguistics)
Chinese language -- Syntax
Chinese language -- Semantics
Applied linguistics
Grammar, Comparative and general -- Syntax
Language and languages
Linguistics
Study skills
China
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781351268820
1351268821
9781351268844
1351268848
9781351268837
135126883X
9781351268813
1351268813