THE LEXICALIZATION PATH OF A TOPIC-SHIFTER

Abstract

(in simplified characters) is used in Modern Chinese as a topic-shifter, whose function is to switch from a topic or topics mentioned previously in the discourse to a new topic. This research investigates how and when the topic-shifter usage of was derived. I argue that it originated from Old Chinese , a verb of movement, plus , a spatial goal marker. This paper illustrates the step-by-step process of the lexicalization of by analyzing all occurrences of in the Academia Sinica Old Chinese texts database. Each stage of lexicalization is clearly distinguished using syntactic and semantic criteria: (a) the syntactic structure of the sentence in which [+Obj] appears, (b) the syntactic status of [+Obj], and (c) the semantic features of the object of . was used as a topic-shifter as early as in the Warring States period. Its use as a topic-shifter started to increase significantly in Middle Chinese, as is reflected in Sanguo zhi. Finally, the lexicalization of into a topic-shifter was completed when was by far most frequently used as a topic-shifter and its original use became obsolete, as in Zhuzi yulei .