Investigating Dayue : An LFG-OT approach to its subcategorization and structure

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the subcategorization and structure of dayue , taking a Lexical Functional Grammar–Optimality Theory (LFG-OT) approach to account for the different uses of this word. It argues that dayue can be identified in the category of either an adverb or a preposition, depending on the function it takes and the structure it has. As an adverb, dayue modifies the clausal element or the quantifier phrase directly following it. As a preposition, dayue takes a noun phrase (NP) or an adpositional phrase as the complement, occurring in the adjunctive position. There may be ambiguities due to the subcategorization of, and the argument structure associated with, dayue , which result in the same linguistic form being generated as optimal outputs for different input meanings. However, each can be argued to correspond to a different c-structure. An LFG-OT approach is adopted in this paper to account for the structure of dayue . LFG proposes different levels of representation, and OT is involved in the theoretical model by evaluating linguistic forms according to the interaction and ranking of different kinds of linguistic constraints. Faithfulness constraints ensure faithful mappings among the lexical, functional, and syntactic levels of representation. Markedness constraints require linguistic structures to be well formed. Economy constraints pursue a concise, efficient way of expression. Alignment constraints map arguments with constituent structures. 摘要: 本文探讨了"大约"的子类别和结构，采用词汇功能语法–优选理论 (LFG-OT)方法来解释该词的不同用法。文章认为，"大约"可以归为副词或介词类别，取决于其作用于句式中之功能和结构。作为副词，"大约"直接修饰其后的从句成分或量化短语。作为介词，"大约"接受名词短语或介词短语作为补语，在附加位置出现。由于"大约"的子类别和相关的论元结构可能产生歧义，导致不同输入含义生成同样语言形式为最佳输出，而每个歧义对应不同的成分结构。本文采用词汇功能语法–优选理论方法来解释"大约"的结构。词汇功能语法使用不同语言层次表现语法，而优选理论根据不同种类的制约条件之间的相互作用和排名来评估语言形式。忠实性制约条件确保词汇、功能和句法层次之间的忠实映像。标记制约条件要求语言结构良好。经济制约条件追求简洁高效的表达方式。对齐制约条件将论元映像到成分结构中。