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Topic and topic-comment constructions in Mandarin Chinese

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2026

Dingxu Shi
Dingxu Shi*
Affiliation:
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
*
Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, [ctdshi@polyu.edu.hk]
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Abstract

This article attempts to provide a precise definition for topic and to derive most of the properties of topic from this definition. The main assumption is that the topic-comment construction is a syntactic device employed to fulfill certain discourse functions. Topic is always related to a position inside the comment. Since topic has no independent thematic role but always depends on an element inside the comment for its thematic role, it has no syntactic function of its own. This dependence relationship is subject to locality constraints.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Language , Volume 76 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 383 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 Linguistic Society of America

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