Mandarin Polarity-Sensitive Items

Mandarin indefinite polarity items, typed by PolarityItem. The system has three layers: the bare interrogatives (shéi 谁 'who', shénme 什么 'what') serve as indefinites in all non-specific non-emphatic functions — seven of the nine implicational-map functions, irrealis through free choice; the emphatic wh + dōu~yě series ('even, also; every, all') is interchangeable between the two particles, restricted to the direct-negation function, and preverbal only; and the free-choice determiner rènhé 任何 'any' occurs mainly with dōu.

Per-item asymmetries are encoded per entry: under direct negation only shénme is perfect while bare shéi is degraded, and the survey reports no indirect-negation data for the bare interrogatives, so no entry lists those contexts.

References

• [Has97], §A.36, Fig. A.36
• [Li92]
• [LT81], pp. 528–530

Bare interrogatives

def Mandarin.PolarityItems.shei : PolarityItem

shéi (谁 'who', non-interrogative) is an NPI and free-choice item. The bare interrogatives cover the seven non-specific map functions ([Has97] A.36.3, Fig. A.36). shéi is attested in questions (A266) and the free-choice span but not under direct negation, where ?Tā bù xǐhuan shéi is degraded while shénme is perfect (A267, [Li92] p. 150); that slot belongs to the emphatic series.

Equations

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

def Mandarin.PolarityItems.shenme : PolarityItem

shénme (什么 'what', non-interrogative) is an NPI and free-choice item with the same seven-function span plus perfect direct negation, as in Tā bù xǐhuan shénme 'He does not like anything' (A267). It also occurs in the irrealis imperative Chī diǎn shénme zài zǒu ba! 'Please eat a little something before you leave' (A264, [Li92] p. 152) and in conditionals (A266).

Equations

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

The emphatic dōu~yě series

def Mandarin.PolarityItems.sheiDou : PolarityItem

shéi dōu shéi yě (谁都/谁也, with clausemate negation) is the emphatic wh + dōuyě series, as in Tā shéi-dōu bù xìnren 'She doesn't trust anyone' ([LT81] p. 528). The two particles are interchangeable in the direct-negation function, the series' only region on the map, and occur preverbally only ([Has97] A269, Fig. A.36). The same formation without negation is 'everyone', and [Has97] (p. 309) leaves open whether the negated uses are indefinites or wide-scope universals.

Equations

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

The free-choice determiner

def Mandarin.PolarityItems.renhe : PolarityItem

rènhé (任何 'any') is a free-choice determiner, used mainly with the adverb dōu. It gives free choice under modals (Rènhé shíhou nǐ dōu kěyǐ lái 'You can come anytime', A270) and occurs in comparatives (A271, a bǐ NP-comparative, listed under clausalComparative per the covert-clausal routing convention of PolarityItem.LicensingContext) and under direct negation (A272); the superordinate-negation use (A273) has no matching context row. Etymologically rèn 'allow; appoint' + old interrogative hé 'what' ([Has97] A.36.2).

Equations

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

Verification

theorem Mandarin.PolarityItems.mandarin_licensing_sound (e : PolarityItem) : e ∈ [shei, shenme, sheiDou, renhe] → ∀ c ∈ e.licensingContexts, c.licenser.Admits e

Every attested context of every entry admits it.

theorem Mandarin.PolarityItems.sheiDou_licensing_characterized (c : PolarityItem.LicensingContext) : c.licenser.Licenses sheiDou ↔ c.licenser.Carries PolarityItem.DEStrength.antiMorphic

The emphatic series needs clausemate negation, so it is licensed exactly by the contexts carrying anti-morphic strength, clausal negation alone among the named contexts.

theorem Mandarin.PolarityItems.direct_negation_asymmetry : PolarityItem.LicensingContext.negation ∈ shenme.licensingContexts ∧ PolarityItem.LicensingContext.negation ∉ shei.licensingContexts ∧ PolarityItem.LicensingContext.negation ∈ sheiDou.licensingContexts

Direct negation is attested with shénme but not with bare shéi, whose direct-negation slot the emphatic series fills instead.