Modern Chinese Modal Particles: A Historical Study of Chinese Modal Particles

Author: Sun Xixin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-03-01
Features: Comparing classical Chinese grammar with modern Chinese grammar reveals many differences, notably the complete replacement of modal particles. Classical Chinese is a written language based on ancient spoken language, which has been promoted by rulers throughout history and remained largely unchanged until the May Fourth period. As for spoken language, of course, it has continuously evolved with the passage of time. To trace the trajectory of this transformation, one must study documents recording spoken language since the Middle Ages, which may explain why some linguists have focused on modern Chinese in recent two decades. Research on modal particles in modern Chinese has already produced numerous articles, but most are limited to individual words, offering only a glimpse. Professor Sun Xixin's monograph, while focusing on modern Chinese, traces back to the Qin and Han dynasties and explores down to the Ming and Qing dynasties, thereby clarifying the historical continuity of modal particles. Descriptions of modal particles in each period capture the key points and highlight their characteristics. The analysis of modal particles from the Tang and Five Dynasties to the Song and Yuan dynasties is supported by extensive references and thorough investigation, providing a comprehensive and systematic explanation of the significant changes in modal particles during this period, filling a gap in the study of Chinese linguistic history.
Studying modern Chinese presents many challenges, primarily because the recorded language lacks a unified standard, a reflection that is particularly evident in the case of modal particles. The monograph employs methods such as sound-based etymology, virtual-contrast analysis, and morphological analysis to trace the development of modal particles, thereby appropriately arguing the origins of modern Chinese modal particles, such as "" (a) originating from "" (hou), "" (hao) and "" (ne) from "" (er) and "" (li), "" (ya) from "" (ye), and "" (ma) from "" (wu), and so on. In the arguments, it synthesizes various perspectives, balances and selects, conducts rigorous examination, and proposes innovative insights. For controversial issues, such as the usage periods of "" (ma) and "" (ba), the phonetic evolution of "" (a) and its historical relationship with "" (ya) and "" (na), the monograph offers discoveries, convincing explanations, and deductions.