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Lee, Thomas Hun· Tak
STUDIES ON QUANTIFICATION IN CHINESE
University oi Caiiiarnia, Los Angeles PH.D. 1986
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Lo~ Angel(,~
Studies on Quantification in Chinese
A dis~ertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy
in Linguistics
by
Thomas Hun-tak Lee
1986
TASLE OF CONTf:NTS
Preface 1
The dissercation of Thomas Hun-tak Lee is approved.
Chapter One ....•......•........•.......................... 3
~M
Three Aspects of Qua~~ifi:a~i=~ in Chinese
1. 0 Introduction .......•................................. 3
Ti:uothy Stowell
1.1 Dou as a Universal Quantifier .. ..... .. . .. .. . .. .. . . .. . 8
1.1. 0 Significance of ILcw. .••.••••••••••.•.••••. .•••.••.. 8
1.1.1 Constraints on Il.CW.-quantification .............•... 12
1.1.2 Distribution .••................................... 31
~(U~ 1.1.3 Binding of wh-words ...•... ........................ 38
l.l. 4 Distributivity ....•..•............................ 57
Kenneth Wexler 1.1. 5 Quantifier Harking ......· .....•.... , .........•..... 65
1.2 Referentiality of Numeral Phrases 74
1.2.1 Constraints on Distribution of Numeral Phrases ... . 75
1.2.2 Universal Generalization of Singular Noun Phrases .. 115
1. 3 Quantifier Scope .................................... . 134
1. 3.1 Command and Linearity Conditions on
Scope Interpretation ...•.......................... 134
1.3.2 Isomorphism in Chinese syntax .................... . 149
1. 3. 3 Clauseboundedness of Quantifier Raising .......... . 157
1. 3. 4 QR and the Scope Interpretation Principle ........ . 181
Notes to Chapter One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Chapter Two 209
Acquisition oi Quantificational Scope in Chinese
2.1 A Principled Account of Acquisition of
University of California, Los Angeles
Quantificational Scope ......•......................... 209
1986
2. 1. 0 Introduction ...................................... . 209
2.1.1 Linguistic Prerequisites: Learnable and Unlearnable. 213
2.1.2 The Parameter of Scope Order ... .. ......... .. . .. .. .. 230
ii iii
2.2 Experimental Studie~ on Acqui~ition of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Quar.,tificational Scope ............................... . 249
It has been a most enlightening experience studying at one of
22..22..12 SExxppeerriimmeenntt~~ wwiitthh MEanngdlair~ihn--~p~epaekaikniqn g cchhilidldrerenn •....•........... . 228573 the world's fine~t lingui~tic departments. The opportunity to be
2.2.3 Cro~~-lingui~tic Compari~on ......•.....•............ 300 exposed to diverse schools of thought and the constantly high level
2.2.4 .,cqui~ition of Marked Scope Order .........•......... 314
of academic debate existing in the department ! will miss for many
2.3 Po~~ible Trigger~ for the Scope Interpretation Principle
in Chine~e ............................................ . 329
years to come.
2.3.1 MAocdqauli~~ itainodn Noefg aRtieolna .ti.v.e. ..S.co.p.e. .o..f .................... . 332 Many teacher~ and friends have contribu~ed to my education as a
2 · 3. 2 Ac..:'tul.sition of Topic Structures .................... . 340 linguist. I owe a special intellectual debt to Tim Stowell for
2.4 Conclu~ion •••• • • • • • • • 0 ••••••••••••• • ••••• ••• 0 .. .. . ...... 0. 351 introducing me to the spirit of the generath•e paradigm. I have
Note~ to Chapter Two .........................•............. 362 learned much not only from his delightful syntax proseminars, but
References
0 • • •••• •• 0 . . . ... . . ........... 0 •••• 0 ••• 0 0 . .. .... 0 •• 0 372 also from his enthusiasm and conviction in the paradigm, his
AAppppeennddiixx 12:: TTee~~tt MMaatteerriiaall ffoorr MMaannddaarrii.n.--ssppeeaakkiinngg acdhuilldtrse .n. ........ 338728 generosity in dis~eminati~y information and ideas, and hie
AAppppeennddiixx 34:: TTee~~tt MPiactteurrieasl faondr EPrnogpl~i sh•-•s•p•e•a• k0 i.n..g.. 0 c..hi.l.d..r.e.n.. ..... .. .. 339864 willinqne~s to re~pond to 'exotic' data and vaguely conceived
Appendix 5: Test Mate1:ial for English-speaking adults ..... 0. 397 notions. I am especially grateful to him for his encouragement and
support during the final stages of my dissertation research, without
which I ai". sure the quality of my \fork would have suffered.
I thank George Bedell for keeping alive a Sino-Tibetan interest
in the department and for bringing together the Tibetan group of
1983-1984, which has remained a rare learning experience in my
li.ngui~tics eclucation. Hi~ frank criticisms of earlier drafts of the
dissertation have helped me sharpen my thinking considerably.
I am indebted to Nina Hyams, Ken Wexler and Yu-chin Chien for
their warm support and very helpful comments on the contents of my
dissertation. Their advice has often led me to tresh way~ of looking
1v v
at familiar data and to a clearer theoretical focus. and Hong-mo Ren, who helped put me in contact with kindergartens and
In formulating the ideas in this dissertation, I have primary schools in Beijing for the ch.t:d language experiments; Zhou
benefited a great deal from discussions with Feng-hsi Liu and Robin Qing, who, with a mathematician's keen sense of lanquage, provided
Clark; I thank them for their suggestions, counter-examples and ;oe with a massive amount of native judgments on a wide range of
counter-proposals, all of which have helped me to clarify my own areas related to quantification, and who did the beautiful
think.ing. illustrations of the props for me; Hao Cheng, whose friendship and
To Paul Schachter and Ed Keenan I owe an appreciation of the hospitality made the completion of the dissertation feasible. To
rigor and beauty of formal syntax u~d formal ~emantics. I am also them all I express sincere thanks.
indebted to Peter Ladefoged and Ian Maddieson for encouraging ~c to My wife, Ju Yao, has been an unfailing spiritual support over
do phonetics research, although in many o~ays I did not live up to the years, and has participated il'. e•:ery facet of the experimental
their expectations. I am grateful to Sandy Thompson for her advice, work reported in this dissertation. In appreciation of her love and
support and hospitality throughout my stay at UCLA. support, to her this dissertation is dedicated.
I wish to express gratitude to my friends Joelle Bailard, Chen
Ping, Hyo-Sang Lee, Chin-fa Lien, Feng-hsi Liu, Hong-me Ren, Ore
Yusuf, Eric Zee, who all hav~ been a source of inspiration and have
enriched my intellectual development over the years.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my former
teachers Benja~in T'sou, Tinq-chi T'ang and Samuel Cheung for
letting me see the fascination of Gving Chinese linguistics in
modern theoretical frameworks, and for inspiring in me an interest
to pursue a research career in linguistics.
Thi~ dissertation could not have been completed without the
assistance of the following friends: Xiong Zheng-hui, Huang Zi-ping,
vi vii
VITA
ABSTRACT OF Tl!S D:4SS£RTATION
October 20, 1952 Born, Shanghai, China
1973 B.A., Swarthmore College Studies on Quantification in Chinese
1976-1977 Department of Western Languages
and Literature, Tunghai University
by
1978-1981 Department of Languages,
Hong Kong Polytechnic
1981 M.A., University of Hong Kong
Thomas Hun-tak Lee
1982-1984 Teaching Assistant, UCLA
Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics
1984-1986 Department of Languages,
University of California, Los Angeles, 1986
City Polytechnic of Hong Kong
Professor George Bedell, Chair
PUBLICATIONS
Lee, Thomas (1982) "T~e Development of Negation in a Mandarin This study of quantification in Mandarin Chinese consists of
speaking child" (in Chinese) Language Learning and
Communication 1.3
two part5. The first part (Chapter One) presents a
Lee, Thomas (1983) "An Acoustical Study of the Register
Government-Binding analysis of three issues in Chinese syntax:
Dhtinction i:". Men" UCLA Wprking Papep in Phonetic:~ 57:79-96.
universal quantification, the distribution and referential
Lee, Thomas (1983) "The Vowel Sy5tem in Two Varieties of
Cantonese" UCLA Workipg Paper:~ ip Phonetica 57:97-114 propertie3 of quantifier phrases and quantifier scope. The theory of
Lee, Thomas (1986) "Acqui3ition of Quantificational Scope
quantification developed in May (1977, 1985) is udopted for the main
in Mandarin" Papgr3 and Report~ on Child Language Oeylopmect
no. 25.
body of this wo:k. We propose that quantifier phrases in Chinese
have the dual property of being able to function both as operators
and as variables and that in Chinese the clausal node Quantifier
Raising (QR) adjoins to is S" rather than s. These assumptions
allow us to ~ccount for a range of d!stributional and referential
Viii ix
Preface
This study of quantification in Mandarin Chinese consists of
properties of quantifiers in the language. We also present evidence
two parts. The first part (Chapter One) presents a
from Chinese showing that OR is essentially clause-bounded and that
Government-Binding analysis of three issues in Chinese syntax:
for Chinese the crucial determinants of scope order within the
universal quantification, the distribution and referential
clausal domain is linear precedence rather than c-command.
properties of quantifier phrases and qu·antifier scope. It will be
The :o~econd part of the dissertatlon draws on the theoretical
argued that a number of core quantificational properties of the
findings of Chapter One, and explores ontogenetic aspects of some of
language can receive Unified t reatment if a level of Logical Form, a
the quantificational properties of Chinese, specifically the
rule of Quantifier Raising and the notion of governing category are
isomorphic scope interpretation principle according to which the
assumed. The theory of quantification developed in May (1977, 1985)
relative scope of two quantificational ~xpressions can be mapped
is adopted for the main body of this work. In this part of the
directly from Surface Stru:ture. A principled account of how
dissertation, we propose that quantifier ?hrases in Chinese have the
children may acquire quantificational competence is proposed, i~
which we argue that children initially view quantifiers as chameleon property o f bel..n~" able to function both as operators and
non-operators and that th~ relative scope property of quantifiers is as Vlriab!~~ and that in Chinese the clausal node Quantifier Raising
(QR) adjoins to l·.s S" rather than s. These assumptions allow us to
.1g arned on the basis of positive evidence. A parameter of scope
account for a range of distributional and referential prope=ties of
order is also motivated. Experimental findings are reported on how
quantifiers in the language. We also argue following Hornstein
Mandarin-speaking children and English-speaking children between
(1984) that QR is essentially clause-bounded and. that for Chinese
three and eight years of age interpret sente~ces containing a
che crucial determinants Of Scope order within the clausal domain is
universal quantifier and an existential quantifier. O~r findings on
linear precedence rather than c-command, contrary to Huang (1981,
acquisition of quantificational scope in Chinese support the
1982).
hypothesis that the unmarked interpretation of quantifier phrases is
a referential one, and that the divergences between the English and The seco~d part of the dissertat i on dra ws on the theoretical
findings of Chapter One, and explores ontogene tic aspects of some of
Chinese data may be due to cross-linguistic syntactic differences
with respect to the quantifier phrases included in the experLr~nt. the ~~antifir.ational properties of Chinese, specifically the
isocorphic scope interp=etat i on Principle according to which the
relative scope of two quantificational e~ressions can be mapped
X
1
directly from Surfcce Structure. A principled account of how
children may ~cquire quantificational competence is proposed. In Chapter One
this account, we argue that children initi~lly view quantifiers as Three Aspects of Quantification in Chinese
non-operators and that the relative scope property of quantifie=s is 1.0 I~troducti?n
learned on the basis of positive evidence. A parameter of scope This chapter investigates three areas of quantification in
vrder is also motivated. Experimental findings are then reported on Mandarin Chinese: (a) the logical properties of the universal
how Mandarin-speaking children and English-speaking children ~tween quantifier I:Uw, "all, each" and its interaction with wh-words snd
three and eight years of age inte=Pret sentences containing a noun phrases without quantifier determiners; (b) the :ef~r~ntiality
universal quantifier and an existential quantifier. It will be seen of numeral phrases; and (c) quantifie~ scope and the issue of
tha~ the findings on acquisition of quantificational scope in clauseboundedness of Quantifier Raising.
Chinese support our hypothesis, and that the divergences between the The theoretical assumptions of our analyses are largely based
English and Chinese data may be due to cross-linguistic syntactic on May (1977) and May (1985), the main assumption being that there
differences with respect to the quantifier phrases included in the i.11 ~ l"!vel of Logical Form (LF) in 11y.1tax where generalizations
experiment. An attempt will oe made to correlate the acquisition of about quantificationa1 phenomena such as operator binding and scope
relative scope of quantifiers with that of other salient properties relations can be captured. An important rule fnr deriving LF
of Chinese: the topic-prominent character of the language and the representations from Surface Structure (55) is the rule of
fact that <.~.;: -""=.!..stive scope of modals and negation can ~lso be Quantific= Raising (QR), which adjoins quantifier phrases (Q-NP) to
predicted by linear order. Finally a number of suggestions are maximal projection nodes (NP, VP, PP, S). In May (1977, 1985), a
raised on the kind of experiments that will shed light on unresolved large amount of evidence from English has been adduced showing that
issues dealt with in the present study. the rule of QR is subject to constrai~ts akin to those governing
syntactic movement. For example, just as noun phrases undergoing
topicalization and wh-movement must move to positions c-commandinq
their traces, so a quantifier phrase undergoing OR must land in a
position c-commanding the trace it leaves behind. B~th need to obey
a condition on proper binding which requires a binder to c-command
its bindee. Another example showing the ~imilarity between syntactic
2 3
