The pragmatic function of numeral-classifiers in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of the pragmatic function of numeral-classifiers in Mandarin Chinese. It argues that even though the most basic function of numeral-classifiers is to quantify and classify nouns, the motivation for their use can be neither syntactic nor semantic but pragmatic, i.e., they foreground the NPs to indicate their discourse salience. This claim is supported by results of two major tests in the study:(1) an examination of classified NPs in terms of their morphosyntactic characteristics, which found that numeral-classifiers co-occur with more prenominal modifiers, and (2) a quantitative analysis of natural spoken and written data in relation to their discourse features, which found that classified NPs usually occur in either foregrounded clauses or presentative sentences which introduce foregrounded entities/participants into discourse. In view of the multiple functions of numeral-classifiers, the different functions are then elucidated in terms of coding on different linguistic levels. It is proposed that quantification and classification are syntactic coding of numeral-classifiers, while foregrounding is pragmatic coding definable and measurable only on discourse level. The grounding account of numeral-classifiers also supports the principle of iconicity in that more important participants are more extensively and distinctly coded.