1st Edition
A Typological Study of the Existential Clause A Functional Linguistics Perspective
By Wang Yong
Copyright 2025
208 Pages
13 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
208 Pages
13 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
208 Pages
13 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
This book investigates the existential clause (EC) from a cross-linguistic perspective and within the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics.
The prototypical EC in the less familiar languages is identified through its functional equivalents in the more familiar ones, which share the common semantic basis of ‘there exists something in some location’. Topics addressed include the... Read more
1. Introduction 2. Theoretical preliminaries 3. Towards a typology of the existential clause: Morpho-syntax 4. The subject of the EC 5. The definiteness effect 6. Entity- vs. event-existentials: A new typology 7. Event-existentials in Chinese 8. ECs as impersonals: A cross-linguistic perspective 9. Impersonal clauses as event-existentials in Chinese 10. Existential and possessive clauses 11. Conclusions
Biography
WANG Yong is Professor of Linguistics at Sun Yat-sen University, China. His research interests include functional linguistics, linguistic typology, discourse analysis, and Chinese grammar.
