WHO    誰

WHAT HUMAN?
Modern Chinese Criteria
rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／ LU JIANMING
Hyponym
  • WHOSE　OF WHO? [GRAMMAR] (anc: 16/0, child: 0)
  • WHOM　WHAT OBJECT PERSON? [GRAMMAR]NB: MOVE ALL WHO MARKED SEMANTICALLY FOR OBJ. (anc: 16/0, child: 0)
Hypernym
  • WHAT　[GRAMMAR] (anc: 14/0, child: 2)
  • PRONOUN　NOUN REPLACING ANOTHER NOUN. [] (anc: 13/0, child: 13)
  • NAME　SPEAK so as to REFER to something OR WORD USED for REFERRING to something. (anc: 12/0, child: 5)
  • 古汉语时间范畴词典 ( WANG HAIFEN 2001) p. 1ff

  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 215

    誰，孰:

    1. When referring to humans, WL claims these are synonymous. This is not so for many interesting reasons. In 追我者誰也？they are certainly not interchangeable, shu2 孰 not being able to function predicatively.

    2. Much more importantly, the two are not interchangeable in the following, where the pronoun shu2 孰 creates a comparative context in a way that she2i 誰 does not. Indeed, this is the basis semantic difference between the words:

    HF 08.07:02; jiaoshi 707; jishi 123; jiaozhu 67; shiping 339

    孰疏孰親？ who then is distant, who close?

    3. Only she2i 誰 can be followed by zhi1 之, where it is by no means always clear how "personal" or "personified" the subject is, although WL are right, of course, that in general the reference is human or personified:

    LAO 4

    吾不知誰之子， One does not know not whose son it is.

    4. Note that in the following the two question particles are not at all interchangeable. 誰好學 "who likes study" is not the same as 孰好學 "who is most fond of study":

    LY 06.03; tr. CH

    「弟子孰為好學？」 "Of the disciples, which one is most eager to study?"

  • 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典 ( HONG CHENGYU 2009) p. 598

    • Words (53 items)

    誰  shuí OC: ɡljul MC: dʑi 68 Attributions

      Syntactic words
    • nprowho (on earth)CH
    • npro+V.postVtindirect-speechwho
    • npro.adNwhose 誰家，誰之過
    • npro.post-Nwho of the Ns
    • npro.postVtwho 為誰
    • npro.postVt:adV[0]whomCH
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}expected answer: no!who? i.e. no one!
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}reference=subjectsubject question word: who
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}rhetorical questionwho?
    • v>nproabpredicate不知其誰 “did not know who thaat was": predicate noun question word: who
    • viknow who is who
    • vpropredicatewhoever? i.e. no one! 非x而誰？
    孰  shú OC: djɯwɡ MC: dʑuk 62 Attributions

      Syntactic words
    • nproquestionwho among them?, which one?; (contrastive) who?
    • nprorhetoricalwho (on earth)CH
    • npro{OBJ}+Vtexpected answer: no!whom?
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}non-contrastivewho? (non-contrastive, i. e. not: "which of these listed possible subjects") but typically: whoever? what kind of person?
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}rhetorical questionwhoever?　i.e. no one
    • npro{SUBJ}+V{PRED}V=compwho is the more V
    其誰  qí shuí OC: ɡɯ ɡljul MC: gɨ dʑi 34 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho (among the relevant people)?
    • NPpro.post-N晉大夫其誰先亡 "who of the dignitaries of Jin will perish first?": who from among the NCH
    • NPpro.post-Nrhetorical questionwhoever of the N?CH
    • NPpro.postNpredicative怒者其誰 "who/what is it that blows?": is who or what?, who is there?CH
    • NPprorhetorical question其誰堪之"who would e able to bear it": who? i.e. no one!
    何為者  hé wéi zhě OC: ɡlaal ɢʷal kljaʔ MC: ɦɑ ɦiɛ tɕɣɛ 16 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    • NPpro{PRED}be who?
    其孰  qí shú OC: ɡɯ djɯwɡ MC: gɨ dʑuk 14 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprorhetorical questionwho of the relevant people> who? i.e. no one!　非x其孰， 天下其孰
    何人  hé rén OC: ɡlaal njin MC: ɦɑ ȵin 14 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPobjectwhich person > who
    • NPprosubjectwho 史記：何人可使
    • NP{PRED}pronominalbe what kind of person? be who?
    阿誰  ā shuí OC: qlaal ɡljul MC: ʔɑ dʑi 10 Attributions
    • Studies in the Language of Zǔtáng jí 祖堂集 ( ANDERL 2004B) p. 126, 128, 209-210

      Early examples in SANGUOZHI. The colloquial interrogative pronoun is frequently used in the dialogues of ZTJ.

      Syntactic words
    • NPpro.adNwhose
    • NPpro.postVtwhom
    • NPprosubjectwho (in subject position)
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    • VPipredicativewho is it? (could maybe also be interpreted as NPpro with deleted verb)
    什摩人  shí mó rén OC: ɡjub maal njin MC: dʑip mʷɑ ȵin 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPadNpronominalwhose
    • NPobjectwhat person > whom
    何  hé OC: ɡlaal MC: ɦɑ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • npro+V{PRED}
    • npro.adNquestionwhich N?
    • npro{PRED}who is it; who was it?; who could it be?
    • npro{whose}whoseCH
    阿那個  ā nǎ gè OC: qlaal naalʔ kaals MC: ʔɑ nɑ kɑ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowhich one?, who?
    夫誰  fú shuí OC: ba ɡljul MC: bi̯o dʑi 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho?
    誰人  shuí rén OC: ɡljul njin MC: dʑi ȵin 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    • NPpro.adNwhose
    誰何  shuí hé OC: ɡljul ɡlaal MC: dʑi ɦɑ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho?
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    夫孰  fú shú OC: ba djɯwɡ MC: bi̯o dʑuk 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro.adVrhetorical questionrhetorical question: who?
    • NPpro.adVV=compwho (of the explicit or implicit topics) is more V
    疇  chóu OC: du MC: ɖɨu 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nprorhetorical questionwho?
    誰當  shuí dāng OC: ɡljul taaŋ MC: dʑi tɑŋ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprorhetorical questionwho (i.e. no one!)
    • NPprosubjectwho?
    奚為者  xī wéi zhě OC: ɡee ɢʷal kljaʔ MC: ɦei ɦiɛ tɕɣɛ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NP{PRED}pronominalwho
    誰其  shuí qí OC: ɡljul ɡɯ MC: dʑi gɨ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho? (but note that the modal force of 其 is mostly present!!)
    誰子  shuí zǐ OC: ɡljul sklɯʔ MC: dʑi tsɨ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPadNpronominalwhose
    • NP{PRED}pronominalwho
    胡  hú OC: ɡaa MC: ɦuo̝ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho? Cao Cao: 胡肯 "who is willing?"
    孰者  shú zhě OC: djɯwɡ kljaʔ MC: dʑuk tɕɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwhich one
    誰之  shuí zhī OC: ɡljul kljɯ MC: dʑi tɕɨ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPadNpronominalwhose
    何者  hé zhě OC: ɡlaal kljaʔ MC: ɦɑ tɕɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    • NPpro{PRED}+N{SUBJ}who?
    孰誰  shú shuí OC: djɯwɡ ɡljul MC: dʑuk dʑi 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    何謂者  hé wèi zhě OC: ɡlaal ɢuds kljaʔ MC: ɦɑ ɦɨi tɕɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    誰家  shuí jiā OC: ɡljul kraa MC: dʑi kɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPadNpronominalwhose
    • NPprowho? 全唐詩
    什麼人  shí mǒ rén OC: ɡjub maalʔ njin MC: dʑip mʷɑ ȵin 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro.adVcolloquialwhich person > who
    曷為者  hé wéi zhě OC: ɡaad ɢʷal kljaʔ MC: ɦɑt ɦiɛ tɕɣɛ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    誰有  shuí yǒu OC: ɡljul ɢʷɯʔ MC: dʑi ɦɨu 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho
    儔  chóu OC: du MC: ɖɨu 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • npro+V{PRED}who
    奚  xī MC: hej OC: ɡeeCH 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nprorhetorical questionwhoever?CH
    庸  yōng OC: k-loŋ MC: ji̯oŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nproexpected answer: no!who? i.e. no one
    曷  hé MC: hat OC: ɡaad 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • npro{OBJECT} Vtobject=huwhoCH
    麼人  mǒ rén OC: maalʔ njin MC: mʷɑ ȵin 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho? Yuan Dynasty, 元曲
    誰何人  shuí hé rén OC: ɡljul ɡlaal njin MC: dʑi ɦɑ ȵin 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who? Liaozhai
    誰  shuí OC: ɡljul MC: dʑi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho？ TT: 啊誰要你夫妻？
    • NPpro{PRED}who? 晉書：小人啊誰？
    何等人  hé děng rén OC: ɡlaal k-lɯɯŋʔ njin MC: ɦɑ təŋ ȵin 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}be who? 搜神記：汝何等人；　also with copula: 房主是何等人？
    誰氏子  shuí shì zǐ OC: ɡljul ɡjeʔ sklɯʔ MC: dʑi dʑiɛ tsɨ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpronominalwho 宋史
    他誰  tā shuí OC: lʰaal ɡljul MC: thɑ dʑi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    誰家子  shuí jiā zǐ OC: ɡljul kraa sklɯʔ MC: dʑi kɣɛ tsɨ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpronominalwho? 全唐詩
    誰個  shuí gè OC: ɡljul kaals MC: dʑi kɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho? Shuihuzhuan
    何如者  hé rú zhě OC: ɡlaal nja kljaʔ MC: ɦɑ ȵi̯ɤ tɕɣɛ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who?
    何誰  hé shuí OC: ɡlaal ɡljul MC: ɦɑ dʑi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho? 晉書：何誰最不肖也。
    • NPpro{PRED}who? 文選：此何誰？；　吳越春秋：為何誰
    若個  ruò gè OC: njaɡ kaals MC: ȵi̯ɐk kɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho? 全唐詩
    曷為者  hé wéi zhě OC: ɡaad ɢʷal kljaʔ MC: ɦɑt ɦiɛ tɕɣɛ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    那一個  nǎ yī gè OC: naalʔ qliɡ kaals MC: nɑ ʔit kɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowhich one?
    誰者  shuí zhě OC: ɡljul kljaʔ MC: dʑi tɕɣɛ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprosubjectwho
    人  rén OC: njin MC: ȵin 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho? Dunhuang Bianwen
    那個  nà gè OC: naals kaals MC: nɑ kɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho?
    兀誰  wù shuí OC: ŋɡluud ɡljul MC: ŋuot dʑi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPprowho
    伊何  yī hé OC: qlil ɡlaal MC: ʔi ɦɑ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who Tao Yuanming 哲人伊何
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • npro{OBJECT} Vtobject=huwhoCH
    何物人  hé wù rén OC: ɡlaal mɯd njin MC: ɦɑ mi̯ut ȵin 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpro{PRED}who? 世說新語: 是何物人？