On the Selectional Restrictions of the Chinese Verb chi

动词“吃”对搭配成分的选择限制

Abstract

This paper attempts to provide an analysis in form of a proof-of-concept to show that s-selection can provide a natural solution to the explanatory problems of the true structure of chi+NP that are difficult to explain in terms of c-selection. It explores the idea of semantic decomposition to investigate the mapping between semantics and grammatical processes involved in the selectional restrictions the Chinese verb chi places on it objects. In the end, it subscribes to alight verb hypothesis which claims that chi’s selectional mechanism is based on semantic relationship between the main verb and direct object on the one hand and between the light verb and the oblique object on the other hand. 本文基于语义分解的思想，试图通过一个概念证明形式的分析，来考察汉语动词“吃”对其宾语的选择限制，以此显示所涉及的语义和语法过程之间的映射关系,进而为“吃”后面的NP（吃+NP）的真实结构提供一个更加自然的解释。最后，本文提出了一个轻动词假设，认为“吃”的选择机制是建立于核心动词和直接宾语以及轻动词和间接宾语的语义关系基础上的。