On the Development of Demonstrative Pronouns in Southern Chinese Dialects: From Linguistic Geography and Grammaticalization Perspective

Abstract

This study discusses the historical development of Southern Chinese demonstrative pronouns (proximal and distal) by classifying and mapping their types according to consonant based analysis. Based on the observation of maps, we assume that the oldest type was “ t-(proximal)-k-(distal)” which later underwent the following changes: 1) T-K/TS-K>K-K>K-N; 2) T-K>Ø-K; 3) T-K>N-K. These changes may have been motivated by the grammaticalization of numerals and classifiers as well as by analogy and homonymic collision, while some changes may have been triggered by the external influence of the northern types.