The case marker de in Manchu has diverse grammatical functions and expresses abundant meanings.Previous studies on de and its related structures show that there is still controversy over the nature of de as well as the number of thematic roles and grammatical functions of"X de".The present paper aims to conduct a systematic study on the thematic roles and grammatical functions of"X de"based on Manchu linguistic data and modem linguistic theories including case theory,thematic theory and argument structure theory.Through careful observation and analysis of the Manchu data,it is found that de can be analyzed both as a dative marker and a postposition.When de is the dative marker,"X de"serves as the core arguments of the predicate verb.When de is the postposition,"X de"can be regarded as a postpositional phrase and serves,except in passive constructions,as the peripheral arguments of the predicate verb.In the double object construction,"X de"assumes the role of recipient and functions as the indirect object.In the causative construction,"X de"serves the role of result and functions as the result complement.In the predicate adjective construction or intransitive verb construction,"X de"assumes the role of goal and functions as the object.In the cases where de is the postposition,"X de"serves primarily as the adverbial in the sentence,expressing the thematic roles of agent,possessor,instrument,location,range,source,time,cause and condition.Besides,research shows that"X"must be a nominal,which can be a pronoun,a bare noun,a complex NP or a nominalized structure.The study on de,a multifunctional category,aims to offer a reference for other systematic studies on functional categories in Manchu as well as other languages.
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