A Comparison of Verb Compounding in Old Japanese and Classical Chinese

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to examining the formation of verb compounds in Old Japanese and Classical Chinese. The findings reveal that the syntax-lexical semantics interface mainly facilitates the formation of verb compounds in both languages. Verb compounds in Old Japanese are assigned to a relatively loose relation, giving rise to coordinate and successive patterns being prominent options. Moreover, conveying the result of an action via substantive verbs appears at a high frequency. In Classical Chinese, it is noticed that combinatory patterning seemed to favour successive and predicate-complete patterning. The coordinate device appeared later than the predicate-complement option. Successive patterning occurs far more prominently in Old Japanese than it does in Classical Chinese. Furthermore, verb weakening is observed in both languages.