There is a widely distributed dialect classifier “蔸” in the area south of the Yangtze River. This classifier is grammaticalized from the noun “蔸” which means “roots (or stem close to the root) of plants” through a metonymy mechanism. The etymology of “蔸” is probably “株”. The classifier “蔸” was a plant classifier when it was first formed, collocating with nouns related to the plant category. Later, its usage expanded. And the word went through a process of categorization. In some areas of Guangxi and Guangdong, it developed the usage of appearance classifiers, which can be collocated with one-dimensional objects in non-plant categories and even abstract nouns. In more limited areas, such as Guangzhou, the classifier “蔸” can even be paired with a noun referring to a person, but in this case its counting function is weak and the whole expression’s subjectivity is strong.

• 王彥琳(北京大學中文系博士研究生, 研究方向, 訓詁學, 漢語史, 近代漢語) | Yanlin WANG