Interaction of dou and scope effects in Mandarin relative clause

Abstract

How to analyze the multi-functional focus-sensitive operatordouin
Mandarin has been a long-standing debate (Lin 1998; Giannakidou & Cheng 2006;
Xiang 2008; Liao 2011; Liu 2017, 2018; Xiang 2020, a.o.). In this paper, I provide
novel arguments for the analysis ofdouin analogy toonlyproposed in Xiang (2020),
by examining the interaction ofdouwith scope effects in relative clauses embedded
in different matrix clauses. I propose that the scope effects in RCs embedded in
non-specificational sentences are derived from long QR of the embedded QP, while
those in specificational sentences result from a natural-function analysis of the RC,
which does not involve movement of the focus associated withdou. Crucially, the
focus-semantics ofdoublocks the former while is compatible with the latter. The
puzzles and the proposed solution also adds new perspective into the more general
question of focus-association with moved elements.