The view from yue: Chinese comparative correlatives

Abstract

The Chinese comparative correlative involves a quantificational tripartite structure. The mapping between its syntactic tree structure and the corresponding quantificational tripartite structure is subject to the Revised Extended Mapping Hypothesis. Semantically, the correlative degree adverb yue 'more' functions to regulate a relationship between a pair of degree/quantity variables and a comparison relation. The relationship between these two variables is subject to the condition: For every x(1), there must exist an x(2); the degree value of x(2) on the scale denoted by the predicate modified by the adverb yue 'more' must be larger than that of x(1) on the same scale, and vice versa. These two degree/quantity variables 'directly' compared with each other along the scale denoted by the predicate modified by the adverb yue 'more' must be associated with two 'corresponding' variables (syntactically or semantically) predicated by the same predicate, respectively. These two 'corresponding' variables are those that are 'indirectly' compared with each other along the scale denoted by the predicate modified by the adverb yue 'more'. The type of predicate modified by the adverb yue 'more' provides further information to help identify the nature of the 'indirect' variables (i.e. individuals, times or worlds). (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.