Pleonastic/Redundant Compounds: Examples in Chinese

WU Xiaojing
Peking University

When talking about pleonastic compounds, Anatoly Liberman (2006) says “It is to be regretted that no one thought of compiling a dictionary of these compounds in the languages of the world. Such a dictionary would tell us many interesting things about linguistic tastes, the power of bilingualism, and of the relation of thought to language.” I am sure that such a dictionary will facilitate broadening our vision and inspire more people to think how pleonastic compounds work and why some languages love them while others hate them.

There are many pleonastic/redundant compounds in the Chinese language. The native speakers feel nothing odd about them. I have been studying them for almost twenty years (See Wu 2006). Examples are given below. The compounds and their classification remain the same as in Wu (ibid.). The Chinese characters, however, are turned into the alphabetic forms for the reader's convenience.

1) Entity_Type
xy:
liyu（carp）：li carp, yu fish
gaoyang（lamb）：gao lamb, yang sheep
xueye（blood）：xue blood, ye liquid
yeti（liquid）：ye liquid, ti material
zangqi（viscera）：zang viscera, qi organ
biyu（green jade）：bi green jade, yu jade
yushi（jade）：yu jade, shi stone
zeiren（thief）：zei thief, ren person
xy:
niudu（calf）：niu bovine, du calf
yanggao（lamb）：yang sheep, gao lamb
maju（foal）：ma horse, ju foal

2) Action_Type
xy:
zhaundong（rotate）：zhuan rotate, dong move
huidong（waive）：hui waive, dong move
qiequ（steal）：qie steal, qu fetch
duoqu（seize）：duo seize, qu fetch
quanshuo（persuade）：quan persuade, shuo speak
sushuo（tell）：su tell, shuo speak
suoshi（instigate）：suo instigate, shi cause to do
poshi（force to do）：po force to do, shi cause to do

3) Entity_Quality
xy:
yueliang（the moon）：yue the moon, liang bright
guangming（bright）：guang light, ming bright
yanshi（inkstone）：yan inkstone, shi stone
muji（wooden rain-slippers）：mu wood(en),
ji wooden rain-slippers
guanmu（coffin）：guan coffin, mu wood
ganshui（hogwash）：gan hogwash, shui water
yx:
xiaohai（child）：xiao immature, hai child
laoweng（old man）：lao old, weng old man
bai-e（chalk）：bai white, e chalk
rouyan（eye）：rou corporal, yan eye
shenyuan（deep pool）：shen deep, yuan deep pool

4) Action_Mode (Here mode includes space, time, manner, etc.)
xy:
qiushui（swim）：qiu swim, shui water
zoulu（walk）：zou walk, lu road
yx:
jingqing（invite）：jing respectfully, qing invite
yuantiao（look into a far distance）：
yuan far, tiao look into a far distance
huiyi（recall）：hui return, yi recall
yubu（predict）：yu before, bu predict
houtui（back v.）：hou back adv., tui back v.
zhongchuo（stop in the middle）：
zhong middle, chou stop in the middle
shangshen（rise）：shang up, shen rise

5) Entity_Action
xy:
chuanqi（gasp）：chuan gasp, qi breath
titui（kick）：ti kick, tui foot
dengyan（glower）：deng glower, yan eye
zhaoshou（waive）：zhao waive, shou hand
xiezi（write）：xie write, zi word
huahua（paint）：hua paint, hua picture
yx:
ziyi（hang oneself）：zi oneself, yi hang oneself
shenyun（pregnant）：shen body, yun pregnant
guangzhao（shine）：guang light, zhao shine
huoshao（burn）：huo fire, shao burn

6) Action_Result
xy:
suoxiao（shrink）：suo shrink, xiao small
kuoda（expand）：kuo expand, da large
shasi（kill）：sha kill, si dead
linshi（drench）：lin drench, shi wet
leijin（tighten）：lei tighten, jin tight
zhaoliang（light up）：zhao light up, liang bright
zhanggao（grow）：zhang grow, gao tall

7) Whole_Part
xy:
yanjing（eye）：yan eye, jing pupil
shenqu（body）：shen body, qu torso
toulu（head）：tou head, lu skull
zhouji（boat）：zhou boat, ji oar
yx:
shanlu（the foot of a mountain/hill）：
shan mountain/hill, lu the foot of a mountain/hill
daoren（knife blade）：dao knife, ren knife blade
yanjian（eyelid）：yan eye, jian eyelid
guhou（epiphysis）：gu bone, hou epiphysis
chuanjiang（oar）：chuan boat, jiang oar
huarui（stamen or pistil）：hua flower, rui stamen or pistil
guarang（pulp）：gua melon, rang pulp

These compound words fall into a more general category that is technically termed “the XY Structure” in Wu (1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006). I think “the Pleonastic/Redundant Structure” might be better when transparency is taken into consideration. According to Wu (ibid.), Semantic Copying is the process whereby the XY Structure is formed. As an abstract entity in nature, the XY Structure has to be realized in variant forms such as xy, yx, x…y.

The examples given above belong either to xy or to yx. The variant form x…y is also common in language. The Chinese idiom kaixuanergui (return in triumph) can serve as a good example. Kaixuan means ‘return in triumph’, gui means ‘return’, and er is a conjunction standing between x and y.

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Wu, Xiaojing. 2006. Yuyifuzhi: Fuhegouci De Yizhong Shouduan. Yuyanxue Yanjiu. Vol.4. pp43-50. Beijingdaxue Waiyu Xueyuan Zhuban. Qian Jun et al. Zhubian. Beijing: Gaodeng Jiaoyu Chubanshe. (Wu, Xiaojing. (2006) Semantic copying: a process of compounding. Linguistic Research. Vol.4. pp43-50. Qian Jun et al. (ed.), sponored by School of Foreign Languages, Peking University. Beijing: High Education Press. )

Scholars who are interested in pleonastic compounds in some European languages could refer to
Hans Sauer. 1985. La3amon's compounds and their morphology. In Historical Semantics Historical word-formation. Jacek Fisiak (ed.). Berlin, New York, Armsterdam, Mouton Publishers.
Anatoly Liberman. 2006. Between beriberi and very, very: In Praise of Useful Waste, Or, Tautological. Compounds. http://blog.oup.com/oupblog/oxford_etymologist/index.html ,
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