Individuability of Mandarin Classifiers

Advisor/Collaborator: Prof. Kristen Syrett

Committee member: Prof. Yimei Xiang, Prof. Dorothy Ahn

First Qualifying Paper (defended 9/22/2021)

Developed from term paper of Acquisition Seminar, 2019 FA

Funded by Laboratory for Developmental Language Studies

We have collected experimental evidence from a quantity judgment task to evaluate two theoretical claims on Mandarin classifiers (Cheng &Sybesma 1998, 1999; Zhang, 2013). Methodologically, we diverge from previous word extension tasks and avoid potential confounds, by turning to quantity judgment paradigm and directly testing for the quantificational standards participants use. Theoretically, our results support Cheng & Sybesma's view that Mandarin count classifiers individuate and specify reference to objects, while mass classifiers select substances. Mandarin morphosyntax reflects the object/substance distinction via classifiers.