On the Grammaticalization of Chinese Prefix Di

Abstract

The origin and development of Chinese prefix di which indicates ordinal numbers are very important in Chinese ordinal number system. However, in current studies, it is still a controversial issue whether prefix di originated from a nominal di “order” or a verb di “arrange the order” and when it became grammaticalized. This paper provides a detailed analysis about the controversial data in Archaic Chinese from the perspective of generative syntax and semantics, and argues that the prefix di indicating ordinal numbers is grammaticalized from the nominal di “order/rank” which was frequently used before the numerals. Di was first used as a prefix in Han Period. The theory and way of analysis of generative syntax and semantics are very helpful for the studies of the historical grammar of Chinese.