Typology of Word Order in Chinese Dialects: Revisiting the Classification of Min

Abstract

On the basis of the degree of subtopic prominence, Liu (2001a) suggests that Wu and Min are weak VO dialects, while Cantonese is a strong VO dialect. The present study examines the word orders exhibited by the directional verb/the directional complement and the theme object/the locative object in Wu, Min and Cantonese, when denoting self-agentive and agentive motion events. The findings of the study show that the word orders exhibited in the three Min dialects studied, namely Fuqing, Hui'an and Chao'an, closely resemble those in Cantonese, but differ significantly from the ones exemplified in Wu. The contrast between Min/Cantonese and Wu is further supported by their differences in the tolerance of postverbal object and in the use of preposition or postposition. The findings of the present study suggest that Min and Cantonese are strong VO dialects while Wu is a weak VO dialect in the sense of Liu (2001a).