Abstract
In this paper, I argue that tense is a discourse feature in Mandarin if tense is extended to mean temporal location in general instead of grammaticalized location in time, as defined in Comrie (Tense, 1985). The evidence comes from the observation that tense does not affect temporal relations in Mandarin. The final endpoint imposed on an activity by past tense is not accessible to the other sentences in the same discourse while the final endpoint imposed by rhetorical relations, such as Narration, is. I argue that this difference results from the fact that in Mandarin tense does not impose a final endpoint until a coherent discourse is formed. I also discuss the implications of this paper for the determination of temporal locations in Mandarin, the status of Tense Phrase (TP) in Mandarin, the semantics of the perfective le, and modeling Mandarin discourse.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asher Nicholas, Lascarides Alex (2003) Logics of conversation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Bohnemeyer, Jürgen, and Mary Swift. 2001. Default aspect: The semantic interaction of aspectual viewpoint and telicity. Paper presented at the Conference of Perspectives on Aspect, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Chang, Jingping. 1998. Situation types and their temporal implication in Chinese. Doctoral diss., University of Kansas.
Comrie Bernard (1976) Aspect: An introduction to the study of verbal aspect and related problems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Comrie Bernard (1985) Tense. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Kamp Hans, Reyle Uwe (1993) From discourse to logic: Introduction to model-theoretic semantics of natural language, formal logic, and discourse representation theory. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Klein Wolfgang (1994) Time in language. Routledge Publishing Company, London
Kuo J. Yi-Chun (2008) A pragmatic account to the interpretations of Mandarin bare nouns. Journal of Pragmatics 40: 1082–1102
Li Charles N., Thompson Sandra (1981) Mandarin Chinese: A functional reference grammar. University of California Press, Berkeley
Lin Jowang (2000) On the temporal meaning of the verbal le in Chinese. Language and Linguistics 1: 109–133
Lin Jowang (2003) Temporal reference in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 12: 259–311
Lin Jowang (2006) Time in a language without tense: The case of Chinese. Journal of Semantics 23: 1–53
Mangione L., Li Dingxuan (1993) A compositional analysis of –guo and –le. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 21: 65–122
Reichenbach Hans (1947) Elements of symbolic logic. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York
Smith Carlota (1994) Aspectual viewpoint and situation type in Mandarin Chinese. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 3: 107–146
Smith Carlota (1997) The parameter of aspect. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Smith Carlota (1999) Activities: States or events?. Linguistics and Philosophy 22: 479–508
Smith Carlota (2003) Modes of discourse: The local structure of texts. Cambridge University press, Cambridge
Smith, Carlota, and Mary Erbaugh. 2000. Temporal information in sentences of Mandarin. Proceedings of the first conference on modern Chinese grammar for the new millennium, Hong Kong.
Smith, Carlota, and Mary Erbaugh. 2001. Temporal information in sentences of Mandarin. In New views in Chinese syntactic research—International symposium on Chinese grammar for the new millennium, ed. Liujiong Xu and Jingmin Shao. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Jiaoyu.
Smith Carlota, Erbaugh Mary (2005) Temporal interpretation in Mandarin Chinese. Linguistics 43: 713–756
Stewart, Thomas W., and Nathan, Vaillette, ed. 2001. Language files: Materials for an introduction to language and linguistics, 8th edn. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
Vendler, Zeno. 1957. Verbs and times. The Philosophical Review; reprinted 1967, Linguistics in Philosophy. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Wu Jiun-Shiung (2005a) The semantics of the perfective le and its context-dependency: An SDRT approach. Journal of East Asian Linguistics 14: 299–366
Wu, Jiun-Shiung. 2005b. Aspectual influence on temporal relations: Evidence from the perfective le in Mandarin. In Adam Makkai, William J. Sullivan, and Arle R. Lommel (Ed.), LACUS Forum XXXI: Interconnections (pp. 181–188), Houston: LACUS.
Wu, Jiun-Shiung. 2006. Aspectual influence on temporal relations: A case study of experiential guo in Mandarin. In Proceedings of explicit and implicit information in text: Information structure across languages, ed. C. Fabricius-Hansen, B. Behrens and M. F. Krave, 55–58. Oslo: University of Oslo.
Wu, Jiun-Shiung. 2007a. Temporal and atemporal relations in Mandarin. Taiwan Journal of Linguistics Monograph Series No. 2. Taipei: Crane Publishing Company.
Wu Jiun-Shiung (2007b) Semantic difference between the two imperfective markers in Mandarin and its implications on temporal relations. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 352: 372–398
Wu Ruey-Jiuan Regina (2002) Discourse-pragmatic principles for temporal references in Mandarin Chinese conversation. Studies in Languages 26: 513–541
Yang, Henrietta Shufen. 2005. Plurality and modification in Mandarin nominal phrases. Doctoral diss., University of Texas at Austin.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, JS. Tense as a discourse feature: rethinking temporal location in Mandarin Chinese. J East Asian Linguist 18, 145–165 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-009-9042-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-009-9042-3