Aaron, Nathaniel
(2023)
An investigation into Chinese classifiers: the creation and general acceptance of new nominal connections in Mandarin Chinese.
Undergraduate Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
This study investigates the usage and selection of nominal classifiers in Mandarin Chinese. The first part of the study reviews the categories and historical evolvement of Chinese classifiers, with introductions to the default classifier 个 ge and complications in classifier usages. Dialectical differences and the evolvement of classifiers in the Modern era including the Internet Age are also discussed. The second part of the thesis reports an empirical study that aimed to reveal trends of classifier selections for various objects, with a particular focus on patterns of use for unconventional objects and new inventions. Forty-four Mandarin Chinese native speakers completed the survey. The findings indicate that participants tend to default to strong associations with 台 tai and ge for inventions; participants also demonstrated positive associations with salient features particularly shape and animal-based classifiers. These results shed light on the classification trends seen in the realm of technology and provide insight into how the classification system may evolve to accommodate new nouns in the future.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
|
| Date: |
19 April 2023 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
7 April 2023 |
| Approval Date: |
19 April 2023 |
| Submission Date: |
17 April 2023 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
61 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
David C. Frederick Honors College |
| Degree: |
BPhil - Bachelor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Undergraduate Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Chinese; Classifier(s) (CL); classification system; salient features; inventions |
| Date Deposited: |
19 Apr 2023 15:46 |
| Last Modified: |
19 Apr 2023 15:46 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/44546 |
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