"多"在数量结构中的分布和语义解释受到量词、数词、名词的性质以及"多"字结构所在的句法环境的影响.文章引入测量的视角,对这一系列看似错综复杂的现象做出统一的解释.文章提出,"多"的使用条件具有双重性:1)只有具有内部结构性,即能够被"部分-整体"关系所定义的属性,才能成为"多"的语义作用对象;2)"多"不但要求其语义作用对象满足"部分-整体"关系的定义,并且测量所得到的结果也必须维持相应的"部分-整体"关系.这一单调性限制不但为深刻说明"多"的分布和语义解释规律提供了新的视角,还为汉语中可数与不可数名词、类别量词与其他量词等的分立提供了语义理据.%This paper explores the semantic structure of measurement by investigating the distribution and interpretation of"duo"(多)in quantity expressions in Chinese.The distribution of"duo" is sensitive to a cluster of factors,such as:whether the classifier is an individual one or not;whether the numeral is a round number or not;whether the root noun denotes a divisible entity or not,etc. This paper establishes a generalization about the interpretation of"duo":(i)when the classifier is an individual one,and the relevant noun denotes an atomic entity,the interpretation can only be about the cardinality of a set;(ii)when the classifier is a measure word,or the noun denotes a divisible entity, the interpretation can be about volume,weight,depth,etc.as long as they are monotonic on the relevant part-whole structures.These facts demonstrate that the quantity expressions involving"duo" is governed by a monotonicity restriction,that is,what is measured must conform to"part-whole"relations, and correspondingly,what measures must preserve the relevant"part-whole"relations.Besides providing a more motivated account of the seemingly complicated duo in quantity expressions, the proposed analysis also sheds new light on the semantic nature of the count/mass distinction in Chinese.
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