In this function la2i indicates that any action should be carried out for the sake of the speaker and it expresses the direct request to the addressee to carry out this action. It is actually often an action which could be carried out by the speaker himself but which is delegated to the addressee. Consequently la2i is usually used in dialogues by the person of higher rank. The person the action is carried out for, is sometimes marked by a coverb (usually by coverb yu3 與 which regularly appears in sentences expressing a request).1395 This usage is closely connected to the one discussed above: 'to come > to come for the purpose of VERBING > request to VERB for the speaker'. In this function I regard la2i as grammaticalized into a sentence final since the original meaning has faded away and it affects the whole proposition (changing it from a statement to a request).

In the following two examples the benefactor of the action is marked by yu3 與 (COV):

1251) ZTJ 1.116; WU: 72

“與老僧過淨瓶水來。”

yu3 la3o-se1ng guo4 ji4ng pi2ng shui3 la2i

COV.INDIR/NPRO1SG.SEMIold-monk/pass(hand over)/pure/CLASSbottle/water/SF.IMP(REQUEST)

"Hand me over a jar with fresh water."

1252) ZTJ 1.173; WU: 105

“汝與我擎缽盂來。”

ru3 yu3 wo3 qi2ng bo1-yu2 la2i

NPRO2SG/COV.BENEFACT/NPRO1SG/lift/alms bowl-jar/SF.IMP(REQUEST)

"Get the alms bowl for me."1396

Note that la2i is restricted in its function to indicate a direct request (imperative). The contents of the request must indicate something which is performed for the sake of the speaker. As such the original meaning of la2i is still present to a certain extent.

Note that la2i also has this function when it appears as part of the complex verbal complement jia1ng-la2i 將來 (V.COMP). In this construction jia1ng indicates the immanent future and la2i indicates that the action is directed towares the speaker and by extension a request:

1253) ZTJ 4.060; WU: 319

“併卻咽喉唇吻，"Closing your throught and your lips,

速道將來。”quickly speak up!"

According to Sun Xixin 1999: 87-92 sentence final za4i 在 (SF) is commonly used in the vernacular texts of the late Tang and Song periods. He thinks that it often expresses the speaker's conviction that an event will take place in the future. Simultanously it seems to give emphasis to the speaker's statement. Za4i appeared in this function during the Tang and early examples can also be found in Tang poetry. During The Five Dynasties and Song periods the sentence final became more common in vernacular texts like the Recorded Sayings of the Cha2n school and Neo-Confucianists. During the Yuan period it gradually decreased in frequency and had completely become obsolete by Ming times.

The original meaning of za4i 在 (VT) is 'to exist' and in this meaning it also regularly appeared at the end of a sentence. This probably was one of the preconditions for the development into a sentence final particle. During the Tang za4i at the end of the sentence began to be emptied of its original meaning and began to function as sentence final. It was suggested that in some examples it seems to function comparable to Modern Mandarin ne 呢 and li 哩.

2.3.2.3.5.2 PATTERNS WITH SENTENCE FINAL za4i 在

Typical pattern of sentences with za4i in ZTJ and the Recorded Sayings and are:

Pattern (a) yo3u 有 + NP(X) + za4i 在 'a certain NP(X) exists'

1233) ZTJ 1.102; WU: 62

“更有庵在。”"There is another cottage (small hermitage) there."

In this pattern zai4 still has its original meaning 'to exist'.

Pattern (b) we4i 未 + VP + za4i 在 (SF)

Za4i often appears in the pattern we4i 未 + VP + za4i 在. We4i 未 (NEG) originally means 'not yet' but in most examples it seems more appropriate to translate it with 'not', syn. to bu4 不. In sentences with adverbs of negation za4i seems to emphasize the fact that an action which should have been performed or was expected to be performed has actually not been performed after all.

1234) ZTJ 5.044; WU: 395

“去ㄐ未見老僧在ㄐ”

qu4 we4i jia4n la3o-se1ng za4i

leave/NEGnot yet/see>understand/NPRO1SG.SEMIold-monk/SF.EMPHASIS

"Leave! You have not understood me (yet)!"

1235) ZTJ 2.048; WU: 137

“這個人未出家在。”

zhe4-ge4 re2n we4i chu1-jia1 za4i

NPRO.DEMthis-CLASS/person/NEGnot yet/leave-family/SF.EMPHASIS

"This person has not yet left home (yet) (i.e. is not a real monk)!"

1236) ZTJ 4.114; WU: 354

師云：The master said:

“某甲未喫茶在。”"I have not drunk tea yet."

1237) ZTJ 2.120; WU: 174

“雖則如此，有人未許專甲在。”

sui1-ze2 ru2 ci3 yo3u re2n we4i xu3 zhua1n-jia3 za4i

SI.CONSalthough/be like/NPRO/exist/person/NEG/allow/NPRO1SF/SF.EMPHASIS

"Although it is like this, there is a person who does not allow [it] to me."

Pattern (c) VP + za4i 在 (SF)

In the following examples za4i gives emphasis to the statement, za4i 在 (SF.EMPHASIS):

1238) ZTJ 1.111,09; WU: 70

“猶持瓦礫在。”

yo2u chi2 wa3-li4 za4i

be like/hold/tile-gravel/SF.EMPHASIS

"This is like holding rubble."

1239) ZTJ 5.138,05; WU: 450

“向後有多口阿師與你點破在。”

xia4ng-ho4u yo3u duo1-ko3u a1-shi1 yu3 ni3 dia3n-po4 za4i

afterwards/exist/many-word>garrulous/PREF-master/COV.OBJ.INDIR/expose-break/SF.EMPHASIS?

"Afterwards there will be a garrulous monk who will expose you."

Pattern (d) Constructions with multiple sentence finals: za4i often co-appears with sentence final qu4 去 and za4i is always postposed to qu4.

1240) ZTJ 5.138,05; WU: 450

“長老與摩識弁人，"You elder are such an eloquent person,

瞎卻鎮州城裡人眼去在。”you are going to blind the eyes of the people of Zhe1nzho1u city."

1241) ZTJ 2.092; WU: 160

“每日在長連床上，"Everyday [sitting] on the long meditation platform

恰似漆村里土地相似！it just resembles adding earth in the village!

他時後日，on day in the future

魔魅人家男女去在！”you will deceive (bewitch) the men and women of the families!"

1242) ZTJ 5.052; WU: 400

“但得其本，"Just [try to] attain the origin [of the mind]

不愁其末。not worrying about its perphery (lit. branches).

他時後日，[Then] one day in the future

自具足去在。”by itself it will suffice."

In this pattern sentence final qu4 去 marks that the event is going to take place in the future and za4i 在 gives emphasis to the statement. Combined the two sentence finals mark the speaker's conviction that an event/action certainly will take place in the future.

As mentioned above the original meaning of za4i is to 'to exist' and it was often used in patterns with localizers (N.GR.LOC):

za4i 在 + NP + zho1ng 中 (N.GR.LOC)

za4i 在 + NP + sha4ng 上 (N.GR.LOC)

za4i 在 + NP + li3 P (N.GR.LOC)

1243) ZTJ 3.095; WU: 250

“老僧在你肚P。”

la3o-se1ng za4i ni3 du4 li3

NPRO1SG.SEMIold-monk/be in(exist in)/NPRO2SG/stomack/N.GR.LOCinside

"I am in your stomach (belly)."

In phrases with za4i...li3 the NP was frequently deleted and the phrase was contracted to za4i li3 在裡, used at the end of the sentence.

1244) ZTJ 2.040; WU: 133

“若与摩和尚來時，"If that's the case then, when the Preceptor comes,

莫向他說納僧在裡。”don't tell him that there is a monk here."

li3 裡 also appears in the form li3-xu3 裡許:1386

1245) ZTJ 3.111; WU: 262

師云：“曹山在裡許。”

shi1 yu2n Ca2osha1n za4i li3-xu3

master/say/NPR/be at/N.GR.LOC-SUFF

The master said: "Ca2osha1n is inside."

In ZTJ 在裡 is still used in its original meaning, expressing the location of a certain object but during Song times this construction was emptied of its original meaning. Originally a NP had to be placed inbetween za4i and li3 but from Song times onwards also a VP could be inserted between the two elements. Thus the construction did not express any longer a location but began to function as sentence final construction giving emphasis to an utterance (SUN XIXIN 1999: 91).

Also the construction with deleted object, za4i li3 在裡 underwent a similar change and it was emptied of its original meaning. There seems to have occurred a shift from marking a concrete location to an abstract location (such as a proposition/speech act).

One reason for this development possibly is the following: During the Tang and Five Dynasties periods both za4i and li3 were already used as sentence finals independently and in the course of time za4i li3 began to be interpreted as sentence finals in a sequence.

Interestingly, also the construction za4i zhe4-li3 在這裡 underwent a similar development. In Song texts it usually still has its literaty meaning 'be here' (WUDENG) but in some sentences it already seems to have the function of giving emphasis to a statement (e.g. in ZHUZI). During the Yuan and Ming periods it clearly could function as sentence final affirming a statement (SUN XIXIN 1999: 92 and YU GUANGZHONG 1986 who analyzes the construction in SHUIHUZHUAN).

The frequency of sentence final za4i it ZTJ is quite high (F: > 50) and as such it is one of the most frequently used vernacular sentence finals in ZTJ. Many of the examples of za4i appear in a derogatory context, and the phrases it appears in often express a notion of despise. As a consequence, in dialogues it is usually used by the person relatively higher in rank (i.e. the master).

An analysis of za4i in ZTJ shows that it does not function to indicate an event in the future or the speaker's conviction that an event/action will take place in the future. This function seems rather to be indicated by qu4 去 which often appears together with za4i. The primary function of za4i is the adding of emphasis of a statetment, and the function probably derived from its original meaning 'exist > that's how it is'; in its original meaning it indicates a concrete location whereas as sentence final it marks and gives emphasis to an abstract location, such as the proposition of the speech act.

Long counts 12 examples of sentence final 婆 in the BINAIYE, clearly indicating a question. In affirmative sentences > demanding the answer yes or no (similar to the later 摩); it also appears in sentences with negated main verbs and in these cases it seems to corrspond to 耶 or 乎. in the BINAIYE 不 and 婆 are used parallel and in a similar way., therefore it is by some regarded as 音變形式 (form representing a sound change) of 不. However, Long doubts this interpretation and also points out the two examples in ZTJ where po2 is rather used similiar to Modern Chinese 吧 (Iriya interpretes it like this). Long interpretes it as representation of a final particle in a local dialect.

Sentence final ye3 frequently occurs in combination with semi-grammticalized lia3o 了. There have been numerous suggestions how lia3o ye3 了也 should be interpreted in this construction. I think that the sequence of those two markers should be interpreted along the line with their individual functions.

The typical function of lia3o 了 in ZTJ is to mark relative anteriority of a VP(X) to a VP(Y) in the pattern VP(X) + lia3o 了 + VP(Y). Lia3o indicates that an action is completed and ye3 expresses perfective, and indicating that the consequences of the action are still relevant at the moment of the speech act:

In the following example co-occurring with yi3 已:

1163) ZTJ 1.150; WU: 90

“你已是受戒了也，

ni3 yi3 shi4 sho4u jie4 lia3o ye3

NPRO2SG/ADV.TEMPalready/COP.EMPHASIS/receive/precept/V.GR.TEMPcomplete/SF.PERF

"You have already received the precepts

還聽律也無？”do you still obey to the disciplinary rules?"

In the sentence above the person has already received the set of precepts, i.e. the event of being ordained is completed and has occurred in the past. However, this event has consequences which are still relevant at the moment of the speech act, indicated by the question whether the person still obeys to the precepts.

1164) ZTJ 1.156,02; WU: 94

“何不問老僧？”"Why do you not ask me?"

僧曰： The monk said:

“問則問了也。”"I have already asked [you]."

1165) ZTJ 1.166; WU: 101

師曰： The master said:

“吃飯也未?”"Have you eaten?"

對曰：[The monk] answered:

“喫飯了也。”"I have [already] eaten."

In the next example co-occurring together with za3o 早 'already' which can function synonymous to yi3 已 in vernacular texts:

1166) ZTJ 1.173; WU: 105

雲嵒問：Yu2nya2n asked:

“一句子如何言說?”"How about expounding one sentence with words?"

師曰：The master said:

“非言說。”"There are no words to expound (express) [it]."

道吾曰：Da4owu2 said:

“早說了也。”"I have already expounded (expressed) [it]."