Mandarin Chinese Classifier Lexicon

@cite{li-thompson-1981} §4.2.1; @cite{aikhenvald-2000} (typological schema)

Typed classifier entries for Mandarin Chinese, replacing unstructured string representations with semantically annotated ClassifierEntry values.

Mandarin has a large numeral classifier system (~100+ classifiers in common use). This fragment covers the classifiers attested in the noun lexicon. @cite{li-thompson-1981} p. 105 points to Chao (1968) §7.9 as the canonical inventory survey.

Classifier selection

Classifier selection in Mandarin is semantically motivated but with substantial lexical residue: per @cite{li-thompson-1981} p. 112, "which nouns occur with which classifier must be memorized, though there is a slight amount of regularity with respect to the meanings of groups of nouns taking the same classifier." Sortal classifiers encode inherent properties (animacy, shape, function); the general classifier 个 serves as default/residue and is "gradually ... replacing the more specialized ones" (ibid.).

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ge : Typology.ClassifierEntry

个 gè — general/default classifier. Semantically bleached; used when no specific classifier applies, or as an informal substitute.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ge = { form := "个", gloss := "general", isDefault := true }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.zhi : Typology.ClassifierEntry

只 zhī — small animals (birds, cats, dogs, insects). Encodes: animacy + small size.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.zhi = { form := "只", gloss := "small.animal", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.animacy, Typology.SemanticParameter.size] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ben : Typology.ClassifierEntry

本 běn — bound volumes (books, magazines, notebooks). Encodes: shape (flat, bound objects).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ben = { form := "本", gloss := "bound.volume", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape], shapeDimension := some Typology.ShapeDimension.twoD }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.liang : Typology.ClassifierEntry

辆 liàng — wheeled vehicles (cars, bicycles, carts). Encodes: function (transport).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.liang = { form := "辆", gloss := "vehicle", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.function] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.duo : Typology.ClassifierEntry

朵 duǒ — flowers, clouds (small, delicate, clustered). Encodes: shape (small, round/clustered).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.duo = { form := "朵", gloss := "flower/cloud", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape, Typology.SemanticParameter.size] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.wei : Typology.ClassifierEntry

位 wèi — persons (formal/polite register). Encodes: humanness + register. The register parameter indexes formality/politeness of the speech act, not honorific status of the referent.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.wei = { form := "位", gloss := "person.formal", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.humanness, Typology.SemanticParameter.register] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.tiao : Typology.ClassifierEntry

条 tiáo — long, thin, flexible objects (rivers, roads, snakes, fish). Encodes: shape (1D, elongated).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.tiao = { form := "条", gloss := "long.thin", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape], shapeDimension := some Typology.ShapeDimension.oneD }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.zhang : Typology.ClassifierEntry

张 zhāng — flat objects with a surface (paper, tables, beds, maps). Encodes: shape (2D, flat surface).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.zhang = { form := "张", gloss := "flat.surface", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape], shapeDimension := some Typology.ShapeDimension.twoD }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ba : Typology.ClassifierEntry

把 bǎ — objects with a handle (knives, chairs, umbrellas). Encodes: shape (graspable handle) + function.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ba = { form := "把", gloss := "handled", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape, Typology.SemanticParameter.function] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.tou : Typology.ClassifierEntry

头 tóu — large animals (cattle, elephants, pigs). Encodes: animacy + large size.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.tou = { form := "头", gloss := "large.animal", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.animacy, Typology.SemanticParameter.size] }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ke : Typology.ClassifierEntry

棵 kē — plants, trees (rooted, standing). Encodes: shape (upright, rooted).

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ke = { form := "棵", gloss := "plant/tree", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape], shapeDimension := some Typology.ShapeDimension.oneD }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.sortalClassifiers : List Typology.ClassifierEntry

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.defaultClassifier : Typology.ClassifierEntry

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.defaultClassifier = Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ge

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.bei : Typology.ClassifierEntry

杯 bēi — glasses, cups.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ping : Typology.ClassifierEntry

瓶 píng — bottles.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.wan : Typology.ClassifierEntry

碗 wǎn — bowls.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.wan = { form := "碗", gloss := "bowl", semantics := [Typology.SemanticParameter.shape], isMensural := true, shapeDimension := some Typology.ShapeDimension.threeD }

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.xiang : Typology.ClassifierEntry

箱 xiāng — boxes.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.containerClassifiers : List Typology.ClassifierEntry

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.allClassifiers : List Typology.ClassifierEntry

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.allClassifiers = Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.sortalClassifiers ++ Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.containerClassifiers

def Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.lookup (form : String) : Option Typology.ClassifierEntry

Look up a classifier by form.

Equations

• Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.lookup form = List.find? (fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => x.form == form) Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.allClassifiers

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ge_is_default : ge.isDefault = true

个 is the default classifier.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.zhi_encodes_animacy : zhi.encodes Typology.SemanticParameter.animacy = true

只 encodes animacy.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.wei_encodes_humanness : wei.encodes Typology.SemanticParameter.humanness = true

位 encodes humanness.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.ben_encodes_shape : ben.encodes Typology.SemanticParameter.shape = true

本 encodes shape.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.specific_classifiers_have_semantics : ((List.filter (fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => !x.isDefault) allClassifiers).all fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => decide (x.semantics.length > 0)) = true

All non-default classifiers have at least one semantic parameter.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.sortal_classifiers_not_mensural : (sortalClassifiers.all fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => !x.isMensural) = true

Sortal classifiers are not mensural.

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.bei_is_mensural : bei.isMensural = true

Container classifiers CAN be mensural (structure determines reading).

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.container_classifiers_are_mensural : (containerClassifiers.all fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => x.isMensural) = true

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.container_classifiers_have_semantics : (containerClassifiers.all fun (x : Typology.ClassifierEntry) => decide (x.semantics.length > 0)) = true

theorem Fragments.Mandarin.Classifiers.inventory_size : allClassifiers.length = 15

Full inventory: 11 sortal + 4 container = 15 classifiers.