The Haplology of Cantonese BEI: Evidence from Production
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Abstract
This study examines the validity of empty categories in the context of Cantonese dative constructions. Specifically, it explores the emergence of a second 'give' verb, bei2, conditioned by phonological distance. This research builds upon Tang's (1998), and Xu and Peyraube's (1997) proposal that the Cantonese serial verb construction originates from the canonical double object construction. Here, the second bei2 is replaced by a null morpheme to avoid identical syllables. However, the second bei2 reappears when the phonological distance between the verbs increases. To examine this effect, 30 Cantonese speakers participated in a picture description task in which logographs primed the use of bei as the main verb in either a canonical double object construction or a serial verb construction. Although the fixed effect of phonological distance did not reach significance, a significant intercept was found, suggesting a preference for canonical double-object constructions when the theme is short. The results provide initial evidence for a syllable-based effect on the use of the double-bei construction. The findings are discussed in relation to psycholinguistic concepts, such as weight, and implications for the acquisition of Cantonese grammar. This study contributes to the understanding of haplology in Cantonese and sheds light on language production and acquisition.
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