Encoding subjectivity with totality: A corpus-based study of [zhengge yi (CL) + X] in Mandarin

Using three corpora of written discourse, this paper investigates the historical trajectory of the totality quantifier zheng ‘whole, entire’ and its later fusion with the general classifier ge in Mandarin Chinese. The results show that zhengge as a compound has evolved from a prenominal quantifier to a degree intensifier. As zhengge gradually lost its lexical meaning of ‘whole, entire,’ it became a degree intensifier that pushes properties up an imaginary scale from a reference point, arguably through conceptual metonymic shifts, i.e., the semanticization of an earlier pragmatic implicature or invited inference ( Traugott, 2010). The degree-intensifying use enables zhengge to fuse with other linguistic elements, such as a numeral yi ‘one’ plus an optional classifier (CL). Together, they form a formulaic expression zhengge yi (CL) deployed by Mandarin speakers/writers to encode their evaluative stances, as in zhengge yige xiao bawang ‘completely a little lord.’ About two-thirds of comments introduced by zhengge yi (CL) are found to have negative implications. General principles of human cognition, particularly negativity biases of humans, are proposed to account for this negative tendency.