Towards a Typology of Progressive Marking in Sinitic Languages - Synchrony and Diachrony (UGC/FDS24/H13/25)(HK$643,594.00)

In the literature, a general scarcity of research on Sinitic grammars may be observed, by and large due to the long-standing misconception that there is a ‘universal Sinitic grammar’ (since Chao 1968). However, in recent years we have witnessed a substantial growth in the research on ‘dialectal’ grammar, including studies on the tense and aspectual systems of Chinese in general, such as Xiang (1997)’s work on on Liancheng Hakka, Li (1998)’s research on Suzhou Wu, Wu (1999)’s study on verbal particles in Xiang Chinese, Cai (2006)’s comparative analysis of the progressive and continuative aspect in Wu and Min Chinese, and Zhuang (2007)’s diachronic account of two aspectual marker kai 開 and li 裏 in the late 19th century, among others.
Nevertheless, methodology-wise, much research on dialectal grammar, including verbal aspect, heavily relies on linguistic elicitation based on translation tasks, namely questionnaires which are modelled on Mandarin. Sample-wise, those studies are neither balanced nor comprehensive across major Sinitic varieties, hence neglecting potential variations in the major devices for aspect marking; goal-wise, they aimed at providing a descriptive account in general, rather than an explanatory analysis of synchronic data as the result of areal convergence and language contact, and/or of a diachronic analysis due to grammaticalization from different etyma of verbs.

Despite the importance of verbal aspect in the typology of the tense, aspect and mood systems across Sinitic varieties, and for the understanding of the Sinitic grammars, works dedicated to a typological account of progressive aspect markers both from a synchronic and from a diachronic perspective are lacking. This study hence sets out to bridge this gap, by investigating a specific aspectual category, namely the progressive aspect, in a balanced sample pool of an estimation of 66 Sinitic languages, containing at least one variety for each major subgroup of the ten Sinitic groups. We will combine the Questionnaire on the Progressive Aspect (Bertinetto and Dahl n.d.), conceived for a typology of the progressive aspect in the world’s languages, and Yue-Hashimoto (1993: 80-81)'s questionnaires on progressive aspect from her Comparative Chinese Dialectal Grammar, in order to better appreciate features unique to Sinitic. In specific, we aim to:
(1) Provide a comprehensive depiction of progressive aspect marking across Sinitic varieties; and
(2) Conduct a typological and areal analysis of the patterns observed in Sinitic varieties; and
(3) Explain possible source verbs and grammaticalization pathways for major types of aspectual markers.

This project will promote scientific excellence as the first comprehensive endeavour on the typology of progressive aspect marking across Sinitic languages, both in synchronic and in diachronic perspective. Furthermore, this project will generate a comprehensive archived database on the progressive aspect, facilitating the good practice of knowledge sharing among scholars and the general public. Lastly, local communities will benefit from diffusion activities organized by the project team during fieldwork to increase their language awareness and to better preserve the local culture embodied in dialects.