The Development of Southern Min Demonstratives + Type Classifier/Quantifier Construction in Late Ming and Early Qing Texts: From Demonstratives to Intensifiers *

Abstract

This paper explores the change in constructions featuring proximal/distal demonstratives + type classifier/quantifier attested in Southern Min playscripts published in the late Ming and early Qing. Hur ² 許 / tsi ² 只 and iunn ⁷ 樣 form particular constructions that have a range of features in syntax, semantics, phonology, and pragmatics. The sense of type is depleted when fusional words hiunn ³ 向 and tsiunn ³ 障 are formed. The missing sense of type can be refurbished by new type classifiers such as puann ¹ 般, sinn ¹ 生, and ni ⁵ 年. The newly emerging hiunn ³ puann ¹/sinn ¹/ni ⁵ 向般/生/年 or tsiunn ³ puann ¹/sinn ¹/ni ⁵ 障般/生/年 reflects the phenomenon of Jespersen’s Cycle. The new function of the fusional words led to the change of determiner + classifier to intensifier as a modifier of scalar adjectives or anaphors with discourse function. Another fusional word, tsuah ⁴ 拙, results from the fusion of tsi ² 只 and ua ⁷ 夥, denoting ‘many’ tsuah ⁴ 拙, and takes on the function of intensifier when its quantity sense is depleted. This is also a reflection of Jespersen’s Cycle. This paper concludes that the demonstrative + type classifier/quantifier construction exhibits chronological strata and subdialectal variation.