Variation in the Syntax of Plural Markers: The Case From Plural –Men in Mandarin

• Kyumin Kim ^[1] ; Xiao Meng ^[2]
  1. [1] Chungbuk National University

     Chungbuk National University

     Corea del Sur

     
  2. [2] Ludong University

     Ludong University

     China

     
• Localización: Studia linguistica: A journal of general linguistics, ISSN 0039-3193, Vol. 76, Nº 2, 2022, págs. 507-551
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This paper provides a novel analysis of plural marker –men in Mandarin as a modifier: –men does not realize a head such as Num(ber); rather, it adjoins to a DP in the nominal structure. The proposed analysis can account for defining properties of –men as a modifier, such as the interpretation of a bare noun with respect to –men, lack of agreement, co-occurrence with a classifier, and so on, which cannot be accounted for by the previous approaches that view –men as realizing a head, such as Num, in the nominal projection. The consequences of this paper support the recent view that the syntax of plural markers is not homogeneous but heterogeneous.