The theoretical objective of this talk is to provide a deep account of the assignment of argument structure roles compatible with constructivist approaches such as Distributed Morphology (Halle & Marantz 1993; Marantz 1997; Embick 2010) and the exo-skeletal (XS)-Model proposed in Borer (2005a, b, 2013). Based on a recent hypothesis (Hu 2022), we argue that a limited set of functional heads are responsible for theta-role assignment, and that light verbs are exponents of the features on these functional heads – in a sense, these light verbs are true predicates of the clause. We take the famous V-de (得) construction in Mandarin (cf. Huang 1988; Zhao 2002; Wei 2006; Tsai 2018) as a case study. We argue that there are two V-de constructions in Mandarin, one being stative and the other being dynamic/resultative. These two readings require two distinct underlying argument structures, with the former involving a single light verb (a type of possessive head, v_poss), and the latter involving an additional inchoative  head (v_become). In this talk we show how the argument relationship established by v_poss results in a modificational reading of either an entity or an event, and how v_become and v_poss together yield the resultative interpretation. We draw on crucial data from Yixing Chinese, showing that while v_become is null in Mandarin, it has an overt exponent dao (arrive) in the Yixing V-de construction. It is hoped that this research not only provides a new account for the V-de construction, but also sheds light on the broader theory of argument structure, as well as cross-linguistic variation, which we suggest could be attributed to the availability of exponents for certain light verbs.

Author Bio:

Xuhui Hu obtained his PhD in linguistics from the University of Cambridge, and is currently Associate Professor of Linguistics at Peking University. His research interests include syntax, morphology, and pragmatics. His papers have been published in a variety of international journals, including Linguistic Inquiry, Natural Language and Linguistics Theory, Journal of Linguistics, etc., and his book ‘Encoding Events: Functional Structure and Variation’ was published by Oxford University Press in 2018.

Joe Perry is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong.  He is interested in theoretical syntax and its interfaces with other components of grammar, as well as the description of underdocumented linguistic varieties (especially Sino-Tibetan varieties in Nepal and China).

Date: April 26, 2023 (Wednesday)
Time: 3:30 – 5:00 PM
Venue: Run Run Shaw Tower, 4/F 4.16