ABSTRACT

As discussed in §39, the object in a verb-object compound may be generic or more elaborate, as in 40a-b. Either way, the object is a necessary element. In other words, for example, ‘drink’ (an alcoholic beverage) in Mandarin must be ୱ䜦 hB-jiJ ‘drink-wine.’ The verb hB itself only appears in a particular context, as in the answer to Դୱ䜦৫˛ nH hB-jiJ ma ‘Do you drink?’ ୱDŽhB ‘Yes, I do.’