The syntax of the ti construction in Tunxi Hui

Abstract

This thesis is a study of the syntax of the ti construction in Tunxi Hui, an

understudied Hui dialect in the Sinitic family of languages.

The aims of this these are three-fold: (i) to provide a sketch of the syntax of

Tunxi Hui, and (ii) to explore the polyfunctionality of the ti morpheme and the syntax

of the ti construction in Tunxi Hui, and (iii) to examine the north-south division of

passive markers particularly with respect to languages in Anhui Province, and the type

of passive marker the Tunxi Hui ti belongs to, as well as some properties of the ti

passive construction.

This thesis explores the polyfunctionality of the ti morpheme in Tunxi Hui, as a

lexical verb ‘give’ and as a coverb. When ti is a lexical verb, the construction it

appears in is a double object construction (DOC), and the linear order of the two

objects has to be the recipient NP before the Theme NP. When ti is a coverb, it is often

found in a serial verb construction (SVC) or a pivotal construction. As far as an SVC

is concerned, the coverb ti can serve as a recipient marker, a benefactive marker or a

locative marker. Otherwise, if the coveb ti occurs in a pivotal construction where the

two or more verbs in the sentence do not share the same structural subject, it can serve

as a permissive marker, a causative marker or a passive marker.

With respect to passive markers, we first give an overview of the types of

passives markers in Sinitic languages. Aside from the bei passives, we also have the

zhuo ‘attach’ passives, the causative passives and the ‘give’-passives. We propose a

revision of Hashimoto’s (1988) north-south division of passive markers, i.e. the

causative passives versus the ‘give’-passives, particularly with respect to languages of

Anhui Province. We find that the passive marker ti in Tunxi Hui belongs to the give

type of passives. The ti passive construction in Tunxi Hui is characterized by the

obligatory occurrence of an agent phrase and the semantic implication of

adversity.

It is hoped that this study can contribute to the understanding of the syntax of the

ti construction in Tunxi Hui, and can provide useful authentic data of an understudied

language for further linguistic analyses.