TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparing classifier use in 1995 and 2010 early child Cantonese to explore social change in Hong Kong
AU - Li, Hui
AU - Wong, Eileen Chin Mei
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - This study compared and analysed the classifier usage in two cohorts: the 492 Cantonese-speaking young children tested in 1995 (Tse & Li, 2011), and the 143 children tested in 2010 (Li & Tse, 2011). The results indicated that: (1) the 1995 and 2010 cohorts shared the same 8 most commonly used classifiers, go3, zek3, gaa3, bui1, baa2, gau6, zoeng1, gaan1; (2) Two top 10 classifiers were found in the 2010 cohort: zi1, and bou6; (3) both cohorts overused the general classifier go3; and (4) both cohorts overused zek3 and gau6 to replace sortal classifiers and even to replace the general classifier go3. The pragmatic features and the associated social changes were discussed to understand the minor changes in classifier use between 1995 and 2010 cohorts.
AB - This study compared and analysed the classifier usage in two cohorts: the 492 Cantonese-speaking young children tested in 1995 (Tse & Li, 2011), and the 143 children tested in 2010 (Li & Tse, 2011). The results indicated that: (1) the 1995 and 2010 cohorts shared the same 8 most commonly used classifiers, go3, zek3, gaa3, bui1, baa2, gau6, zoeng1, gaan1; (2) Two top 10 classifiers were found in the 2010 cohort: zi1, and bou6; (3) both cohorts overused the general classifier go3; and (4) both cohorts overused zek3 and gau6 to replace sortal classifiers and even to replace the general classifier go3. The pragmatic features and the associated social changes were discussed to understand the minor changes in classifier use between 1995 and 2010 cohorts.
KW - classifier use
KW - Cantonese
KW - young children
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929158025&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1075/cld.5.1.04li
DO - 10.1075/cld.5.1.04li
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84929158025
VL - 5
SP - 79
EP - 97
JO - Chinese Language and Discourse
JF - Chinese Language and Discourse
SN - 1877-7031
IS - 1
ER -