Sino-tibetan Quantifier

This thesis studies noun classifiers of Sino-Tibetan languages. The research is based on the theories of typology and historical comparative linguistics. The paper first compares the noun classifiers in various Sino-Tibetan languages. Then it summarizes the characteristics of noun classifiers in these languages, and describes the different categories according to the richness of noun classifiers in the language. Afterward it explores the mechanism which constraints the richness of noun classifiers, and the evolution of noun classifier from its origin to its growing and formation. There are three innovations in this thesis. First, it explores the historical origin of noun classifiers in Sino-Tibetan languages. Second, it explores the motivation and mechanism behind the occurrence of noun classifiers in Sino-Tibetan languages. Third, it explores the unique position of echo classifiers and the evolution of echo classifiers which involves both lexiconization and grammarization.Previous researches on noun classifiers in Sino-Tibetan languages mostly focused in a single language or language family, while a study from the scope of comparing the whole language family by modern linguistic theories has not yet been worked on. Under this circumstance, the thesis examines the pattern of noun classifier evolution from a new perspective, and fills up the gap of the study of noun classifiers in Sino-Tibetan languages to a certain extent. It also contributes to the understanding of the synchronic and diachronic features of noun classifiers in Sino-Tibetan languages, as well as to the typology of noun classifiers.The thesis has the length of about 200 thousand words, and is divided into 5 chapters.Chapter 1 gives an introduction to the research. It first defines the research subject and states the value of the research. Then it reviews the previous works on noun classifiers of both Chinese and non-Chinese languages. Besides it points out the limitations and innovations. Lastly it introduces the methodology and the sources of language material.