The {bei+verb+jiangqu} construction in pre-twelfth century Chinese

Abstract

Abstract The Chinese string composed of { bei 被 + verb + jiang 將 + qu 去 } is a rare, unique, unproductive, informal usage which, to date, has remained virtually unexplored. The present paper attempts to sketch its pre-twelfth century evolution by analyzing examples collected from various sources, but now from sources digitalized by CBETA ( Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association ). This paper begins by investigating the constituents in order to determine a core structure. It argues that jiang and qu are not two discrete elements but one single unit, reanalyzed in a new formula, { bei + verb + jiangqu } to replace the traditional notation { bei + verb + jiang + qu }. Regarding the evolution of this collocation, the paper periodizes four stages of development. (1) The earliest examples appear in the fifth century, and they are of the { bei + verb₁ + verb₂ (+ verb₃)} order, in which jiangqu occupies either the second or third verbal slot. (2) Seventh century examples are showing signs of change, allowing, for the first time, an agent to be inserted between bei and the verb. (3) The eighth century witnesses a radical usage shift in which jiangqu has been demoted to a SIFE (“Semantically Impoverished Functional Element”), resulting in a new passive order { bei + verb + SIFE}. (4) The evolution continues in the ninth through eleventh centuries, becoming more complex, though somewhat dormant. This paper thus contributes to discussion of an understudied and thorny topic: How to segment short strings of Chinese characters. A few guidelines are suggested, and it is noted that some strings consisting of “verb, jiang , and qu ” have been wrongly dissected: {verb + jiang + qu } must be rendered {verb + jiangqu }.