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 他语” and “qu 去语” is roughly the same, but far from “lai 来语”.  The intensity of “ta 他语” and “qu 去语” is usually higher than that of “lai 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 他语” and “qu 去语”/ “lai 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.

Keywords
Resumptive pronoun Directional verb “qu去” Modal particle