A Prelimilary Study Of The Verbal Suffix TA In The Changsha Dialect

This paper attempts to define the verbal suffix ta in the Changsha dialect as tense/aspect marker by comparing ta with the verbal suffix le in Mandarin.In Chapter 1 and Chapter 2,1 set the groundwork by pointing out the inclination that both Mandarin and the Changsha dialect are generally described as aspect marking dialects devoid of grammatical tense distinctions (Li 1991, Wu 1996, Cui 1992). The discussion of the Changsha dialect revolves around the verb suffix ta which usually is analyzed as a marker of perfective aspect (Li 1991, Wu 1996, Cui 1992, Zhoul998).In Chapter 3,1 first describe the usage of both V-ta and sentential ta in the Changsha dialect by comparing them with the V-le and sentential le in Mandarin in an systematic, comprehensive and elaborate way. I conclude that V-ta can be a mere perfective ta regardless of the time framework and also in some cases V-ta can be both perfective ta and past tense ta. The sentential ta can only be an aspectual marker. Moreover, I shed light on two perfectives of aspectual functions of the marker ta in the Changsha dialect: perfectivity (V-ta) and inchaotivity (sentential ta). I mainly deal with the differences between the Changsha dialect and English in this aspect of perfectivity ( V-ta). Soh & Kuo (2003) gave a very detailed and insightful explanation by comparing the different nominal systems in English and Mandarin Chinese. But unluckily, they made some mistakes in describing the language facts themselves. In my opinion, the different "quantification" of "completeness" in Chinese and in English makes the expression acceptable in the Changsha dialect and the expression "he wrote a letter, but he didn't finish it" unacceptable.In Chapter 4, some issues related to the distribution of V-ta, including the interaction of syntactic and discourse conditions in determining the surface distribution of V-ta are discussed. I analyze that the distribution of raj and top is determined within the grammar and all occurrences of tomust satisfy these rules.In Chapter 5, we get a conclusion that Verbal ta in the Changsha dialect can be both a tense marker and an aspect marker with some unique characteristics.