MODAL PARTICLES 情態虛詞
Grammar [NOTE THAT THE GRAMMATICAL PARTICLES HAVE NOT BEEN FOCUSSED SO FAR IN THE SYSTEM AND NO SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS HAS BEEN APPLIED SO FAR.]
Modern Chinese Criteria
LU JIANMING
Old Chinese Criteria
也 is judgmental and judgmentally descriptive, never narrative: "it is the case that; the point is that"矣 narrative or narratively descriptive and marks to a currently new, currently relevant or currently conditioned narrative statement.已 is judgmental as well as emphatic or definitive: "definitively!, definitely"而已 is decisive and exclusive of alternatives: "and that is all".耳 is a less emphatic 而已.爾 is a scribal variant for 耳 and writes the same word.哉 is emphatic and marks emotionally charged statements: "!".夫 =否乎 is tentative and marks statements the truth of which is held to open to doubt: "n'est-ce pas?"
Hypernym
- MODAL MODIFIERS [NOTE THAT THE GRAMMATICAL PARTICLES HAVE NOT BEEN FOCUSSED SO FAR IN THE SYSTEM AND NO SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS HAS BEEN APPLIED SO FAR.] (anc: 13/0, child: 1)
- PARTICLE A WORD that NOT VERBAL AND NOT NOMINAL. [NOTE THAT THE GRAMMATICAL PARTICLES HAVE NOT BEEN FOCUSSED SO FAR IN THE SYSTEM AND NO SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS HAS BEEN APPLIED SO FAR.] (anc: 12/0, child: 24)
- WORD SOUND IMAGE of a CONCEPT. (Leibniz, Couturat p. 432) (anc: 11/0, child: 7)
Words (40 items)
也 yě OC: lalʔ MC: jɣɛ 919 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostad.非N{PRED}非...也非其罪也“it was not his fault": marker of negated abstract nominal feature predicateCH
- ppostad:Vpost-p{NEG}.post-v{NEG}double negation 非不非不能也 "it is not a case of being unable" "it is not as if the subject was not V-ing" dismissing one negative judgment and suggesting there is another judgment that is trueCH
- ppostadNab{PRED}Nab=instantiation仁也"is an instance of benevolence": particle marking the instantiation of an abstract feature NabCH
- ppostadNab{PRED}Nab=unmarked nominalisation of V無法也“This is lawlessness": "this is an instance of" marks the classification of a subject as being an instance of the unmarked nominalisation of a VPLZ
- ppostadNPab{S}.postVtNPab=an S nominalised by 之/其不知其可也“I do not know what is acceptible about him": marker of sentential complements, which are typically nominalised by 之/其LZ
- ppostadN{PRED}.post-N{SUBJ}N{SUBJ}=autonymousmarking that N{PRED} classifies an autonymous N{SUBJ}CH
- ppostadN{PRED}.postSSexplanatorySS, 行之節也 “..., this is the rhythm of traveling [by chariot]"DS
- ppostadN{PRED}classification聖人也“is a sage": is to be classified as an N
- ppostadN{PRED}descriptive 者也是知王道者也 "Such is the one who properly understands the way of a (true) king"LZ
- ppostadN{PRED}putativemarker of passive putative use of predicative nominalCH
- ppostadS1.+S2containing cataphora吾聞之也 marker of a main sentence a cataphoric pronoun in which is specified in the sentence that followsCH
- ppostadS1.postS2S2 ends in 矣由也升堂矣，未入其室也。 "Our friend Zǐlù has ascended the main hall, but has not yet entered the rooms": contrastively non-perfective judgmental particle CH
- ppostadSadversativemarking emphatic contrastive judgement (that is the opposite of what precedes)VK
- ppostadSconcessivemarking preliminary concessive judgemental clauseVK
- ppostadSconclusion吾與點也“I side with Dian": "and the concluding point is that": marker of a concluding judgment or a concluding contrastive judgmental clause.
- ppostadSconcrete judgmental imperative勿告也"One should not tell him!" "the thing to do now is": sentence final particle in imperative or injunctive sentences
- ppostadSdescriptive無知也“I have no understanding": final particle marking non-narrative judgemental descriptive statements or subjective judgmental appraisals
- ppostadSgeneral judgmental imperative勿欺也！“One must not cheat!": marks the generality of an imperative as being not limited to a certain occasion or time
- ppostadSjudgemental 我無是也“I do not have such": "it may be said that, it is a fact that", "the point is" marks a judgemental non-narrative verbal sentence, often as being basic or explanatory
- ppostadSjudgmental generalising未之聞也"this is unheard of (not narratively 'this I have never heard of'.)": particle marking a generalising judgmentCH
- ppostadSSmarks a sequence of sentences as being generalising rather than concretely narrativeCH
- ppostadV.post-N{SUBJ}N=autonymouspostverbal particle preceded by the subject NCH
矣 yǐ OC: ɢɯʔ MC: ɦɨ 262 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadN{PRED}N=counted Nmarks a nominal predicate as definitely applyingCH
- ppostadS"the currently relevant point is": modal particle marking new or currently particularly relevant statement (like 了)
- ppostadS1.post-S2S1=apodosisMOVE TO "THEN" sentence-final particle after apodosis of conditional
- ppostadSimperativemarker of (probably mild) imperative sentences
- ppostadStensed吾老矣 "by now; at this stage; under these circumstances": currently relevant verbal statement; new situation, tensed
- ppostadSuntensed我知之矣“I'm perfectly aware of it!": "surely, definitely" mildly exclamatory/emphatic
- ppostadV.+N{SUBJ}psych甚矣吾衰也！emphatic sentence-internal post-verbal modal particle
- ppostadV1.adV2exclamatory鮮矣仁 particle placed after an emphatic focussed adverbial (which one might even suspect of being a transposed main verb)
- ppostadVlogically則...矣 "then ... und those conditions definitely": definitively (under the logical conditions)CH
- ppostadVtemporalperfective: then, at that time, definitelyCH
凡 fán OC: blom MC: bi̯ɐm 159 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padN.adS"一律"Speaking in general of N, S
- padNPab{S1}.adS2theoretical/not merely descriptive"一律"quite generally, speaking of S1, S2CH
- padNPab{S}.adVtheoretical/not merely descriptive"一律"
- padSVery basically ...CH
- padS1.adS2theoretical/not merely descriptiveas a matter of principle
- vadN{TOPIC}.+V{COMMENT}theoretical/not merely descriptiveTOPIC very oftem followed by 者: "一律"quite generally; very generally speaking; as a matter of principle, speaking in veneral general terms of (the topic);
夫 fú OC: ba MC: bi̯o 95 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padS1.postS2"Now,", "In fact," introducing a related new subject for the discourse, and introducing non-narrative theoretical discourse.
- padSrhetorical questionparticle introducing typically generic rhetorical questions 夫何
- padSwithout preceding SIn fact... (opening a whole chapter in a non-narrative mode)CH
- ppostadScommunicative, subjective=否乎 n'est-ce pas?
獨 dú OC: dooɡ MC: duk 37 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padVGerman: "etwa"> marker of rhetorical questions inviting or suggesting/presupposing a negative answer, derived from the meaning "as the only person"
也已 yě yǐ OC: lalʔ k-lɯʔ MC: jɣɛ jɨ 33 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadS"in every way, definitely": assertive combination of final particles
矣哉 yǐ zāi OC: ɢɯʔ skɯɯ MC: ɦɨ tsəi 17 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSemphatic and exclamatory final particle combination
- PPpostadV.adSexclamatory particles
已 yǐ OC: k-lɯʔ MC: jɨ 17 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadN{PRED}definitely (Pulleyblank: might be fusion of 也矣)LZ
- ppostadSdefinitely!CH
- ppostadVintensitive imperative marker, "!!"
- ppostadVquestion
乎哉 hū zāi OC: ɢaa skɯɯ MC: ɦuo̝ tsəi 16 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSexpected answer: no!marker of rhetorical questions
了也 liǎo yě OC: reewʔ lalʔ MC: leu jɣɛ 12 Attributions
- Studies in the Language of Zǔtáng jí 祖堂集
(
ANDERL 2004B)
p.
490-491 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]."
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSperfectivevernacular sentence final construction indicating the perfective: (already) have Ved
蓋 gài OC: kaabs MC: kɑi 11 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padSsemantically weak marker of a new beginning within a given non-narrative abstract discourse, often a tentative summarising remark
- padStentativeApparently 蓋聞 marks a tentative report on what one has heard but does not necessarily believeCH
- padV.postN{SUBJ}-it would appear-CH
矣夫 yǐ fú MC: hiX bju OC: ɢɯʔ ba 8 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadN{PRED}marks an emphatic nominal predicate, that whole predication being modified as a whole by the communicative rhetorical question particle 夫 "n'est-ce pas"CH
- PPpostadSverbal sentencemarks an emphatic and communicative statementCH
也已矣 yě yǐ yǐ OC: lalʔ k-lɯʔ ɢɯʔ MC: jɣɛ jɨ ɦɨ 7 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSemphatic post-sentential cluster {note that the 也 goes with the sentences that precedes, and the 已矣 is close to 而已矣 which has the sentence that precedes as its scope}
始得 shǐ dé OC: lʰɯʔ tɯɯɡ MC: ɕɨ tək 6 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- VPpostadSgrammaticalised idiom reinforcing a recommendation made>...only then will one succeed;...only then is it possible
- VPt+V.postSgrammaticalised idiom reinforcing the notion of obligation/recommendation made > only if S then the goal defined by V will be achieved
其 qí OC: ɡɯ MC: gɨ 6 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padSrhetorical questionformative of rhetorical questions
- padVOBI: one of the most controversial modal particles in OBI
- padVsubjunctive adverb: would haveCH
- padVrhetoricalquestionmarker of a rhetorical questionCH
矣乎 yǐ hū MC: hiX hu OC: ɢɯʔ ɢaa 6 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSemphaticstressed emphatic final particleCH
否 fǒu OC: pɯʔ MC: pɨu 6 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadSquestioninterrogative particle: "or not"
云爾 yún ěr OC: ɢun mljelʔ MC: ɦi̯un ȵiɛ 6 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSdouble particle marking the end of quotation
- PPpostadSdouble particle marking emphatically the end of a complex discourseCH
已矣 yǐ yǐ OC: k-lɯʔ ɢɯʔ MC: jɨ ɦɨ 5 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- VPipostadSand that is all there is to be said (We take this difficult case to be one of a grammaticalised VP which is no longer accessible to negation, even "in principle"
- VPipostadSdefinitelydefinitely, without any doubtCH
爾 ěr MC: nyeX OC: mljelʔ 4 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadS=而已 that is all
- vpostadVparticle marking the end of a comparison, resumptively: "like that, in that way"LZ
而 ér MC: nyi OC: njɯ 3 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadV=而已 “that is all"CH
也哉 yě zāi OC: lalʔ skɯɯ MC: jɣɛ tsəi 3 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSexpected answer: no!rhetorical question particle: surely not!
故 gù OC: kaas MC: kuo̝ 3 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- npostadSmarker of constative theoretical modality
也邪 yě yé MC: dzyoX yae OC: lalʔ k-la 2 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSrhetorical questionforms strong rhetorical questions, expected answer: NO!DS
也夫 yě fú MC: dzyoX bju OC: lalʔ ba 2 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSmarker of a tentative judgment sentenceCH
否乎 fǒu hū OC: pɯʔ ɢaa MC: pɨu ɦuo̝ 2 Attributions
Interrogative particle [DS]
- Syntactic words
- ppostadSquestionor is that not so?, n'est-ce pas [Note that this combination persists in spire of the current use of 夫＝否乎 already noted by Georg von der Gabelentz in 1881]
也已矣夫 yě yǐ yǐ fú MC: dzyoX yiX hiX bju OC: lalʔ k-lɯʔ ɢɯʔ ba 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSstates a fact, emphatically, as currently relevant, appealing then to the reader that this is trueCH
你 nǐ OC: m-lɯʔ MC: ɳɨ 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- ppostadN{PRED}what about?modal particle: a how about N? (probably corresponding to Modern Mandarin 呢)
耳乎 ěr hū MC: nyiX hu OC: mljɯʔ ɢaa 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSmarks the question form of a sentence modified by 耳CH
哉 zāi OC: skɯɯ MC: tsəi 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- ppostadSemphatic marker of the imperative modality.
莫是 mò shì OC: maaɡ ɡljeʔ MC: mɑk dʑiɛ 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- VPt+S.+V{NEG}Is it not that S, (or not)
乎已 hū yǐ MC: hu yiX OC: ɢaa k-lɯʔ 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- PPpostadSemphaticdefinitely!CH
式 shì 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- padVarchaic particle, apparently close to adverbial connectors, 'and so, thus' (SHI)LZ
為 wèi OC: ɢʷals MC: ɦiɛ 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- ppostadSmarker of rhetorical questions
無 wú OC: ma MC: mi̯o 1 Attribution
- Syntactic words
- padSpre-classical sentence-initial particle with unclear meaning (SHI 毛 傳："無念，念也。", possibly a trace of the volitional prefix *m-)
耳 ěr OC: mljɯʔ MC: ȵɨ 0 Attributions
- Syntactic words
與 yú OC: k-la MC: ji̯ɤ
歟 yú OC: k-la MC: ji̯ɤ 0 Attributions
- Syntactic words
來 lái OC: m-rɯɯ MC: ləi 0 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- padSexclamatorycommunicative modal particle (see XIE ZHIBIN 謝質彬 2011: 173ff)
- padVcommunicative modal particle (see XIE ZHIBIN 謝質彬 2011: 173ff)
旃 zhān OC: tjan MC: tɕiɛn 0 Attributions
- Syntactic words
- ppostadSsentence final particle of doubtful exact function, said to be equivalent to 之焉
也與 yě yú MC: dzyoX yo OC: lalʔ k-la 0 Attributions
- Syntactic words