Distributive Quantifier měi in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the function of the distributive quantifier měi in the [měi-Numeral-NP V Numeral-NP] construction. Měi is viewed as a marker of plurality over plural entities, seen as a set denoted by Numeral-NP, and marks the sorting key for a distributive dependency in the sense of Choe (1987). Without měi, the structure [Numeral-NP V Numeral-NP] can induce either a distributive dependency or a proportional relation between the two numeral NPs. We account for the implausibility of the sequence [*měi-yī-NP]. Měi involves the notion of unit, which is distinct from the notion of singular number expressed by the numeral yī ‘one’.