Medieval Chinese zì as a flexible phasal adverb: semantic unity and force-dynamic origins

In Early Medieval Chinese, 自 zì came to convey ideas related to phasal polarity. This paper describes how zì expresses three meanings: unexpectedly early already , unexpectedly late still , and the idea that a positive phase at reference time began earlier than expected. These uses are argued to derive from an abstract phase extension meaning: zì denies the occurrence of a change of state, causing the situation to hold true for a more extended period than expected. This meaning is argued to account for the appearance of zì in adverb- zì sequences. Finally, the meaning is shown to have derived metonymically from an earlier force-dynamic use of zì denying that an additional force impinged upon the situation, which in turn originates from zì ’s reflexive-emphatic uses.