Xiaoxue Huang

Abstract

In Chinese dialects, there is a kind of volitional modal particles used at the end of volitional sentences (including imperative sentences and volitional sentences) to enhance language force. Volitional modal particles are partly derived from the resumptive pronouns used at the end of the sentence such as “ta 他/它”, “qu 渠/佢” and “yi 伊” while part of them come from the directional verbs meaning “go” and “come” like “qu 去” and “lai 来”. The syntactic context in which the resumptive pronoun and the directional verbs “qu去/lai来” grammaticalize into volitional modal particles is used at the end of volitional sentences. The syntactic distribution of “ta <modal particle>他语” and “qu <modal particle>去语” is roughly the same, but far from “lai <modal particle>来语”.  The intensity of “ta <modal particle>他语” and “qu <modal particle>去语” is usually higher than that of “lai <modal particle>来语” in language force. The difference in syntactic distribution of volitional modal particles leads to the difference in the intensity of language force, and the distribution is related to the semantic factors before they are grammaticalized. The categories of “ta <modal particle>他语” and “qu <modal particle>去语”/ “lai <modal particle>来语” are generally complementary in geographical distribution. This distribution pattern is related to the weakening tendency of SOV word order from north to south.