泰語「給」複合結構的句法及語意

The Syntax and Semantics of GIVE-Complex Constructions in Thai

泰語具有許多連結動詞的複合結構，其中「給」複合結構受到不少關注。本文以角色指稱語法來探討泰語「給」複合結構。我們發現hây「給」有很多不同的語意。如果hây成為複合結構中的主要動詞，其主語與共同論元會受到語意限制；如果hây出現在其他的結構裡，這種限制則不存在。我們以這樣的特性來辨別hây的詞類。本文認為hây在某些結構中並非動詞，而是連結標記。我們以概要的方式來解釋其語意的共同性。在句法上，本文提出不同的測試來區分結構中的結合與聯繫關係。我們發現泰語中的「給」複合結構可以被分為核心並列結構、核心附屬結構以及子句並附結構。

Thai is known for exhibiting complex constructions with series of so-called verbs. GIVE-complex constructions are one of those that have been studied widely and repeatedly. This paper aims at investigating the syntax and semantics of GIVE-complex constructions in Thai. The study is based on the framework of Role and Reference Grammar. It has found that in terms of semantics, hây ‘give’ has many meanings. As a main verb in a complex construction, it has semantic restrictions on its subject and shared argument while such restrictions are not held when they occur in some types of constructions. This property is used as one of the criteria for identifying the category of hây. The paper claims that some types of hây are not a verb, but rather a clause linkage marker. Schematic representation of its meaning is proposed to account for its semantic similarities. In terms of syntax, the paper proposes tests for differentiating types of juncture and nexus of the construction. It is found that GIVE-complex constructions in Thai can be analyzed as core coordination, core subordination, and clausal cosubordination.