%0 Journal Article
%T INCLUSION OF THE OUTSIDER ¨C GRAMMATICALIZATION OF THE VERBAL PARTICLE MAAI IN CANTONESE
%A Winnie Chor
%J Taiwan Journal of Linguistics
%D 2010
%I Crane Publishing Co
%X This paper explores the grammaticalization of the verbal particle maai in Cantonese. Originally a verb of movement meaning ¡®approach/get close to¡¯ a reference point, maai has undergone grammaticalization to become a directional particle meaning ¡®towards¡¯. It then developed into an additive quantifier meaning ¡®also/as well¡¯, and has further been reinterpreted as an evaluative marker, marking the speaker¡¯s negative evaluation of the object of the verb to which maai is suffixed. A number of pragmatic processes are involved in maai¡¯s grammaticalization, in particular pragmatic inferencing and subjectification. The evolutionary pathway ¡®addition¡¯ > ¡®subjective evaluation¡¯ is attested by historical data and is also supported by cross-linguistic evidence.
%K directional particle
%K Cantonese
%K MAAI
%K grammaticalization
%K subjectification
%U http://tjl.nccu.edu.tw/volume8-2/8.2-2Chor.pdf