Grammatical Multifunction via Causativity: Evidence from Morpheme Po⁵⁵ in the Yanzhou (Jiande) Dialect

The morpheme po⁵⁵ in the Yanzhou (Jiande) dialect functions as either a verb of giving or an object marker (Cao 2017). In the former case, po⁵⁵ patterns with the ditransitive verb gěi in Mandarin Chinese, where the mode of transfer is semantically underspecified, while in the latter case, po⁵⁵ marks distinct thematic roles of the post-po⁵⁵ NP, akin to bǎ. The multifunction of po⁵⁵ results from the grammaticalization pathway from verb of giving/helping to object marker, as defined by Chappell (2007). Through the extensive comparison with bǎ and bǎ-sentences in this paper, we argue that the post-po⁵⁵ NP must be affected in a specific way and is always associated with the resultative state, due to the realization of the event denoted by the VP. By employing the linking framework in Randall 2010, we propose a unified treatment of po⁵⁵ based on causativity, which ultimately leads to the conclusion that causativity constitutes the crucial component of the underlying Conceptual Structure of po⁵⁵, while the morpheme po⁵⁵ is lexicalized as a strict causative item, albeit its dual status in the grammar.