重探粵語疑問句的分類

Revisiting the Taxonomy of Interrogatives in Cantonese

粵語疑問句傳統上分為四類：(1)是非問句、(2) A-not-A問句、(3)選擇問句、(4) wh-疑問句(Gao 1980)。然而，近期研究提出了一種二分法，將疑問句區分為確認性提問(CS)和資訊性提問(IS)，該理論已成功應用於普通話、湘語、英語等語言(Her et al. 2022)。本文首先指出，粵語傳統的四分法在分類標準上不夠精確，忽略了疑問句中的普遍規律，因此主張粵語疑問句應以二分法劃分。具體來說，是非問句屬於CS，A-not-A問句應歸類為選擇問句的子類，而選擇問句和wh-疑問句同屬IS類別。本文進一步討論了數個句末助詞，認為「呀」(aa4)和「嚱」(he2)構成CS問句，「話」(waa6)和「先」(sin1)則出現在IS問句中。此外，我們分析了「未」(mei6)在動詞短語否定問句中的功能，提出該結構涉及隱性成分的A-not-A問句。

Traditionally, Cantonese interrogatives are classified into four types: (1) yes-no questions, (2) A-not-A questions, (3) disjunctive questions, and (4) wh-questions (e.g., Gao 1980). However, recent studies propose a binary classification, dividing interrogatives into confirmation-seeking (CS) and information-seeking (IS) questions, a theory successfully applied to Mandarin, Xiang (Sinitic), English, and other languages (Her et al. 2022). This paper first points out that the traditional four-way classification lacks precision and overlooks universal patterns in interrogatives, advocating for a binary division for Cantonese. Specifically, we argue that yes-no questions stand alone as CS questions, while A-not-A belongs to the disjunctive type, which is, in turn, a subcategory of IS constituent questions together with wh-questions. Furthermore, the paper discusses several sentence-final particles, suggesting that呀aa4 and嚱he2 form CS polar questions, whereas話waa6 and先sin1 appear in IS questions. Additionally, we demonstrate that未mei6, found in the so-called VP-Neg question, should be analyzed as a kind of A-not-A question involving an implicit disjunction.