The Baseline/Elaboration Model for the Constructional Meaning of Chinese “V1OV2de” Construction

Abstract

Chinese “V₁OV₂de” construction has its special syntactic features. The traditional grammar of formal linguistics finds it difficult to analyse this atypical and marginal construction, but the theory of baseline/elaboration in Cognitive Grammar can provide a solution for it. The paper studies the constructional meaning of “V₁OV₂de” construction based on the theory of baseline/elaboration model. It draws a conclusion that “V₁OV₂de” construction has two constructional meanings: “cause-effect relationship” and “non-cause-effect relationship”. In addition, it also discusses the reasons why the verb appears for the second time in “V₁OV₂de” construction. The constructional meanings of “V₁OV₂de” construction are generated because of the two same verbs.