IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-31 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104059

Zhuo Zhang , Jinmeng Dou

{"title":"Revisiting Chinese modality types: A collostructional approach to post-modal verbs","authors":"Zhuo Zhang , Jinmeng Dou","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104059","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104059","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper revisits Chinese modality types through a corpus-based analysis of [Modal + Verb] patterns involving seven common two-character modals. Using Multiple Distinctive Collexeme Analysis, the study identifies the most strongly attracted collexemes for each modal pattern and groups them into seven semantic domains. This categorization yields three modality groups—epistemic, dynamic, and deontic, highlighting functional and cognitive (dis)similarities among the modals. Simple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components are subsequently employed to quantitatively validate these results. The findings confirm the traditional tripartite classification of modality as a more decisive factor in modal use and reveal that a possibility–necessity continuum captures variations in modal strength within each type. Methodologically, this research represents the first quantitative corpus-based study of Chinese to systematically compare seven modals across modality types, proposing a replicable framework that integrates quantitative distributional evidence with usage-based functional–cognitive interpretation. This approach enhances our understanding of modality through usage distributions and strengthens the empirical foundation for modality research in Chinese. Pedagogically, it offers insights into modal usage in authentic contexts, supporting more effective instruction. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how distributional corpus methods can uncover semantic variation and contribute to broader cognitive and typological discussions on modality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104059"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Exploring Mandarin tone production: A Global Chinese perspective 探索普通话声调制作：全球汉语视角

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104060

Xin Ren , Huihui Wang

{"title":"Exploring Mandarin tone production: A Global Chinese perspective","authors":"Xin Ren , Huihui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently, Mandarin plays a prominent role in global communication, and the Global Chinese framework has accordingly gained increasing attention. The Three Concentric Circles of Mandarin users model represents a key concept within the Global Chinese framework as it captures the sociolinguistic profile of Mandarin users from the Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles ((IC), (OC), and (EC), respectively). However, no previous studies have considered Mandarin users in this integrated model. This study investigates the lexical tone production of Mandarin users in the three circles, the factors influencing tonal variations, and the assumption of this model in explaining tone production. The speakers in this study were from mainland China (Inner), Macau (Outer), and Africa (Expanding). Considerable variability was observed in the OC and EC. However, the impact of the first language alone cannot explain these variations; factors such as tonal similarities in Mandarin also contribute to this variation. Furthermore, contrary to the assumption of the Three Circles model, the findings revealed that the OC variety was closer to the IC variety than the EC variety. The smaller typological distance between the Chinese language used in the IC and OC may contribute to this pattern, which can help modify and supplement the model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104060"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Canonical and non-canonical roots: The diversity of roots in Mandarin Chinese 规范词根与非规范词根：普通话词根的多样性

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-03 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104068

Yang Qin

{"title":"Canonical and non-canonical roots: The diversity of roots in Mandarin Chinese","authors":"Yang Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the notion of “root” within the framework of canonical approach. Although this notion has been widely discussed, many controversies exist, especially regarding its linguistic properties. These controversies are motivated by a fact that in natural languages, the notion of “root” is instantiated differently across languages, or even within the same language. To analyze the diversity of roots systematically and uniformly, a theoretical space of roots is constructed under the canonical approach. The specific position of each instance within the theoretical space against the canonical roots can be determined by its behavior on four criteria, namely, boundness, positional flexibility, phonological richness and meaning lexicality. In practice, I make a thorough examination of 122 Chinese morphemes whose morphological status has remained ambiguous. These morphemes are ultimately divided into five groups, gradually deviating from the canonical roots, showing that even in a typical isolating language Mandarin, roots are not uniform – neither in their structures nor in their meaning. More importantly, the distinctions among individual roots in terms of their linguistic properties are clearly explained. Also, the theoretical space of roots enables cross-linguistic comparisons of roots, making it highly significant for both intra-linguistic and cross-linguistic studies of root variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104068"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Meet Me on Tomorrow by Your Mama’s House: A sociolinguistic investigation of phrasal constructions in New Orleans English 《明天在你妈妈家见我》：新奥尔良英语短语结构的社会语言学研究

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104040

Dana Serditova , Katie Carmichael

{"title":"Meet Me on Tomorrow by Your Mama’s House: A sociolinguistic investigation of phrasal constructions in New Orleans English","authors":"Dana Serditova , Katie Carmichael","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phrasal constructions are an underlooked aspect of language variation and change, in part likely due to the challenges of examining syntactic variation: lower frequency compared to phonological and morphological features, questionable semantic equivalences across phrasal constructions, and an interest in sound change amongst variationist sociolinguists. In this study, we examine three phrasal constructions in New Orleans English that demonstrate unusual employment of prepositions: ‘<em>by</em> [residence]’ (e.g. ‘I went by your mama’s house yesterday’ meaning ‘I stopped in for a visit at your mama’s house yesterday’), ‘<em>for</em> [time]<em>’</em> (e.g. ‘the store closes for six o’clock’ meaning ‘the store closes at six o’clock’), and <em>‘on</em> [temporal deixis]’ (e.g. ‘I’ve got a doctor’s appointment on tomorrow’ meaning ‘I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow’). Using a self-report survey of New Orleanians, and spoken and written production data from corpora and social media, we document usage and distribution of these phrasal constructions across demographic groups, noting that while all 3 features appear stable across generations in New Orleans, <em>‘on</em> [temporal deixis]’ appears to be used more by Black and Creole respondents than white respondents. We situate these results within the context of local linguistic change in New Orleans English, and broader research on syntactic variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104040"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Learning L2-L3 cognates and L1-L2-L3 cognates in class: A longitudinal experiment in raising awareness of L2-L3 similarity L2-L3同源词与L1-L2-L3同源词课堂学习：提高L2-L3相似度认知的纵向实验

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104057

Agnieszka Otwinowska , Breno B. Silva , Olga Broniś , Agata Ambroziak , Aleksandra Janczarska , Borys Jastrzębski , Małgorzata Foryś-Nogala

{"title":"Learning L2-L3 cognates and L1-L2-L3 cognates in class: A longitudinal experiment in raising awareness of L2-L3 similarity","authors":"Agnieszka Otwinowska , Breno B. Silva , Olga Broniś , Agata Ambroziak , Aleksandra Janczarska , Borys Jastrzębski , Małgorzata Foryś-Nogala","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We investigated how L3 word knowledge is impacted by similarity to learners’ previous languages (L1 and L2) and awareness of cross-linguistic similarities. Our participants were L1-Polish speakers with L2-English who were beginner learners of L3-Italian (<em>N</em> = 35, <em>M<sub>age</sub></em> = 19.71). Alongside regular classroom activities, we used tailor-made exercises to teach our participants 120 L3-Italian words: 40 L2-L3 cognates, 40 L1-L2-L3 cognates, and 40 noncognates, controlled for a range of item-related variables. We also randomly assigned participants to two conditions: a control group and a cognate-awareness-raising group, where we manipulated participants’ awareness of L2-English-L3-Italian cross-linguistic similarity through interactive online workshops. In the pretest and posttest, we tested learners’ ability to translate an L2-English word to L3-Italian and to use the L3-word in a sentence. Results of mixed-effect logistic regressions showed that the cognates were learned better than noncognates, but there was no difference between L1-L2-L3 and L2-L3 cognates. Importantly, the cognate-awareness-raising training enhanced the learning of L1-L2-L3 cognates, but not of L2-L3 cognates. Our results suggest that any cross-linguistic similarity improves retention, but L3 lexical learning is primarily facilitated by cumulative L1-L2-L3 similarity if the participant is aware of its existence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104057"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145323929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Mandarin citation tone perception in prelingually deaf adults 成人语前失聪的普通话引文声调感知

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-17 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104058

Yu Chen , Yinuo Wang , Shengqin Cao , Yang Li

{"title":"Mandarin citation tone perception in prelingually deaf adults","authors":"Yu Chen , Yinuo Wang , Shengqin Cao , Yang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated how prelingually deaf adults (PDAs) with cochlear implants (CIs) or hearing aids (HAs) perceive Mandarin citation tones. The effects of rhyme complexity and hearing device type on tone identification were examined.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Seventy-four Mandarin-speaking participants (30 normal-hearing, 18 CI users, and 26 HA users) completed a four-alternative forced-choice tone identification task. The stimuli included monosyllables with different rhyme complexities (simple, open, nasal) and tone pairings (six tone pairs). Mouse-tracking was used to capture response trajectories and timing.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Normal-hearing participants showed higher accuracy than both deaf groups in all conditions. Tone pairs T2–T3 and T2–T4 were particularly challenging for CI and HA users. Rhyme complexity influenced only the deaf groups, and nasal rhymes showed the worst performance. Although CI users had more severe hearing loss, their performance was similar to that of HA users.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results highlight the impact of tone types and rhyme complexity on Mandarin tone perception in PDAs and suggest the need for device-specific auditory training.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104058"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145323930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Culturally bound abusive expressions in Ghanaian social media 加纳社交媒体中受文化限制的辱骂性表达

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104056

Rachel G.A. Thompson , Evershed Kwasi Amuzu

{"title":"Culturally bound abusive expressions in Ghanaian social media","authors":"Rachel G.A. Thompson , Evershed Kwasi Amuzu","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the use of culturally bound abusive expressions in Ghanaian online discourse, with a focus on the strategic deployment of indigenous languages and culturally specific terms as mechanisms of verbal aggression and online harm. Drawing on a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected from social media commentary on major sociopolitical events in September 2024, including public reactions to the government’s handling of illegal mining (Galamsey) and the subsequent arrest of protestors. The analysis reveals a form of pragmatic borrowing, where users embed abusive expressions from Akan, Ewe, Ga, and Hausa into English-based discourse. These expressions, retained in their original forms, heighten emotional intensity, assert cultural identity, and convey power or resistance, often carrying meanings that avoid direct translation. Rather than being spontaneous outbursts, they operate as culturally situated acts of verbal aggression that combine expressive force with significant social impact. The study shows how Ghanaians on social media strategically mobilize insulting expressions not only to offend but also to reinforce group cohesion, enact sociocultural resistance, and challenge sociopolitical authority. The findings advance understanding of how multilinguals in postcolonial contexts navigate online interaction by using language as a weapon of aggression and a medium of identity construction and sociopolitical critique. The study provides insights into multilingualism, digital communication, and the cultural specificities of online harm in sub-Saharan Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"328 ","pages":"Article 104056"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The development of copula/affirmative response marker polysemy in Chinese and other languages in China 汉语和其他语言中连词/肯定反应标记词多义词的发展

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-11-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104028

Haiping Long

{"title":"The development of copula/affirmative response marker polysemy in Chinese and other languages in China","authors":"Haiping Long","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Contact with Chinese may explain the development of copula/affirmative response marker polysemy in other languages in China. Chinese <em>shì</em> developed the polysemous pattern because it underwent polygrammaticalization in Old Chinese: (a) pronominal demonstrative > demonstrative verb of manner > affirmative response marker, and (b) pronominal demonstrative > copula. Since Middle Chinese, most other usages have disappeared, and the polysemy has persisted for over a millennium. Speakers of other languages in China were in contact with Chinese, and adopted one of the three strategies to incorporate this polysemy: (a) using Chinese <em>shì</em> as a loan word to function as copula and affirmative response marker in the target language, (b) using the copula of the target language to function as affirmative response marker, and (c) using the attributive adjective meaning ‘true, correct’ of the target language to function as copula and affirmative response marker, typically starting with copula. The latter two strategies support two arguments: (a) grammatical changes in language contact do not always involve grammaticalization, and (b) speakers of the target language may sometimes adopt linguistic items with more abstract meaning to refer to more concrete polysemous meaning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 104028"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The reverse influence of L3 on the expressions of caused state change events in the L1 of Mandarin Chinese learners L3对汉语普通话学习者L1中引起状态变化事件表达的反向影响

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-11-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-11 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104036

Yinxia Wei, Xinyi Guo

{"title":"The reverse influence of L3 on the expressions of caused state change events in the L1 of Mandarin Chinese learners","authors":"Yinxia Wei, Xinyi Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the previous predominance of a focus on forward transfer in motion event expressions, current research has overlooked the exploration of reverse transfer of third language (L3) regarding caused state change (CSC) events in the first language (L1). Based on an animated event description task, this study explores the reverse influence from L3 to L1 in CSC expressions, comparing 33 Mandarin–English learners with 66 Mandarin–English–Japanese learners of low and high proficiency. The findings reveal that: (1) All participant groups exhibited significant adherence to satellite-framed language (S-language) features in their lexicalization patterns, predominantly adopting causal compactness conceptual splicing patterns. (2) Both L3 (Japanese) typological features and proficiency exert inverse effects on L1 (Mandarin Chinese) CSC expressions. The former prompts Mandarin–English–Japanese learners to focus more on event results, and increased proficiency leads to reduced semantic fineness in result descriptions. (3) Cross-group comparisons of CSC events expression reflect the dynamic interplay between language systems. The similarities demonstrate the privileged role of L1, while the differences illustrate the reverse effects of Japanese typological features and proficiency.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47955,"journal":{"name":"Lingua","volume":"327 ","pages":"Article 104036"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Gradient perception of geminate consonants in Arabic: a perceptual study of durational thresholds 阿拉伯语双元音的梯度感知：持续阈值的感知研究

IF 1.3 3区文学

Lingua Pub Date : 2025-11-01 Epub Date: 2025-09-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2025.104039

Abdullah Alfaifi

引用次数: 0

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