INCLUSION OF THE OUTSIDER – GRAMMATICALIZATION OF THE VERBAL PARTICLE MAAI IN CANTONESE

Abstract

This paper explores the grammaticalization of the verbal particle maai in Cantonese. Originally a verb of movement meaning ‘approach/get close to’ a reference point, maai has undergone grammaticalization to become a directional particle meaning ‘towards’. It then developed into an additive quantifier meaning ‘also/as well’, and has further been reinterpreted as an evaluative marker, marking the speaker’s negative evaluation of the object of the verb to which maai is suffixed. A number of pragmatic processes are involved in maai’s grammaticalization, in particular pragmatic inferencing and subjectification. The evolutionary pathway ‘addition’ > ‘subjective evaluation’ is attested by historical data and is also supported by cross-linguistic evidence.

Keywords

• directional particle
• Cantonese
• MAAI
• grammaticalization
• subjectification