Comparison of Double Object Construction in Chinese and Japanese

Abstract

Double-object construction is a common cross-linguistic phenomenon, and there exists a special double-object construction which differs from the normal one both syntactically and semantically. This article aims to explore the syntactic and semantic similarities and discrepancies of two types of construction in Chinese and Japanese. Specifically, this article first generalizes the similar and divergent syntactic and semantic features of the two patterns in Chinese and Japanese (also involving other languages, such as Korean). Further, based on the comparison, this article reveals that the formation of the special construction depends on whether its possessor can receive appropriate case.