The Continuity of Head Nouns: The Difference in Relativizability between Korean and Chinese
Chao YAN
Hunan Normal University
Page 122-138
Abstract: The Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy cannot explain the difference in relativizability between Chinese and Korean in authentic discourse. Korean exhibits a higher preference for relativization compared to Chinese and this article aims to account for this difference from the perspective of topic continuity. Specifically, the continuity of head nouns within relative clauses is stronger in Korean than in Chinese. By analyzing the parameters of referential distance and potential interference, this study finds that the head nouns in Korean relative clauses display a broader range on the continuum of continuity compared to those in Chinese relative clauses. Furthermore, the difference in the strength of continuity of head nouns between Chinese and Korean relative clauses is attributed to the typological distinction between the Component-Integral Languages and Component-Metonymic Languages postulated within the framework of the Event-Domain Cognitive Model.
Keywords: relative clauses, head nouns, topics, continuity, component-Integral languages, component-metonymic languages
DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202401010
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