Optional elements and variant structures in the productions of bei2 'to give' dative constructions in Cantonese-speaking adults and three-year-old children.
To express object transfer, Cantonese-speakers use a 'ditransitive' ([V-R-T] or [V-T-R] where V=Verb, T=Theme, R=Recipient), or a more complex prepositional/serial-verb (P/SV) construction. Clausal elements in Cantonese datives can be optional (resulting in 'full' versus 'non-full' forms) or appear in variant orders (full non-canonical and full canonical). We report on usage of dative constructions with the word bei2 'to give' in 86 parents and 53 three-year-old children during conversations. The parents used more P/SV than ditransitive bei2-datives, and vice versa for the children. Both groups showed a similar usage pattern of optional elements and variant structures in their ditransitive and P/SV bei2-datives. The roles of multiple construction types, optional elements and variant structures in children's learning of bei2-dative constructions are described.
Wong
Anita M-Y
AM
Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong-SAR-China. amywong@hkusua.hku.hk
Chow
Dorcas C-C
DC
McBride-Cheng
Catherine
C
Stokes
Stephanie F
SF
D000328:Adult; D002663:Child Language; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D013060:Speech