A typological analysis of certain syntactic idiosyncrasies in Mandarin

ABSTRACT: This study examines the complexity of Mandarin syntax and addresses several long-standing problems in the field. To tackle these issues, it proposes a tripartite mixed model of core arguments—nominative, accusative, and absolutive—for Mandarin. Using this model, the paper provides a unified account of ten recurrent syntactic idiosyncrasies. It demonstrates systematic links between these phenomena and absolutive alignment, clarifying the crucial role of the absolutive relation and its grammatical significance in Mandarin. The findings show that Mandarin's mixed configuration of nominative, accusative, and absolutive goes beyond the traditional subject–object dichotomy. From this broader perspective, many persistent puzzles in Mandarin grammar receive more comprehensive, unified, and robust explanations. It is hoped that this study will contribute to deeper and more systematic research on the Mandarin grammatical system. 摘要: 本研究旨在探讨汉语普通话句法的复杂性，试图解决几个长期困扰语 言学界的理论难题。为此，我们提出一个包含主格、宾格和通格的三 分核心论元混合模型。基于该理论框架，本文对十种常见句法特异现 象作出统一解释，揭示了这些现象与通格之间的系统性关联，阐明了 通格在汉语中的核心地位及其语法意义。研究结果表明，汉语主格、 宾格与通格的混合模式超越了传统的主宾二分法。通过这一更广阔的 视角，我们能够对汉语语法中诸多长期存在的难题给出更全面、统一 且简洁的解释。希望本研究能推动汉语语法体系向更深入、更系统化 的研究方向推进。