再論漢語「左右」

Approximative zuǒyòu ‘around, about’ in Chinese

作為中文裡的語法詞，「左右」為一複合詞，是由兩個反義的方位名詞「左」（左邊）和「右」（右邊）所組成。本文從語意和句法的角度對近似語「左右」進行分析。「左右」具有不同的使用層面和意義：我們建立了「左右」當方位詞的原始意義及其延伸的隱喻用法之間的關連性。「左右」一詞在定語詞組的分布是有限的，同時也顯現出若干語意的限制。最重要的是，它只能修飾前面的基數詞。本文說明了「左右」和其他近似語如「差不多」、「大約」是如何的不同：「差不多」、「大約」實質上都是修飾謂語。「左右」一詞亦引發我們對於空間領域裡有關指稱架構的研究提出了一些問題。我們更進一步分析在「左右」一詞所觀察到的限制，諸如它跟量詞及省略名詞的組合、以及有無修飾標記「的」的差別。我們的分析採用了Kayne (1994)對關係子句的研究方法及Simpson (2002) 把「的」定位成D 的分析，試著解釋「左右」在含有「的」的數量片語中之分布。

This paper offers a semantic and syntactic analysis of approximative zuǒyòu in Chinese. Zuǒyòu is identified as a grammaticalized item. It is a compound word formed by the coordination of two antonymous nominal localizers, zuǒ ‘left’ and yòu ‘right’ whose invariant is a locative. Zuǒyòu displays different uses and meanings: a connection is established between its inherent locative meaning and its metaphorical reading as an approximative. Approximative zuǒyòu has a restricted distribution in the DP and displays several semantic cooccurrence restrictions. Most importantly, it can only involve modification over a cardinal numeral, which it follows. The study illustrates how it differs from other Chinese approximative items, such as chàbuduō ‘almost’ or (dà)yuē ‘around’, which essentially identify with a predicate. Zuǒyòu also raises questions concerning the study of frames of references in a spatial domain. We further analyze the restrictions observed on its combination with classifiers and with (elliptical) nouns, with and without the marker of modification de. An analysis adopting Kayne’s (1994) approach to relative clauses, and Simpson’s (2002) analysis of de as D, is provided to account for the positioning of zuǒyòu within NP in QP modificational structures with de.