Abstract
The paper aim at exploring the case of 一點(仔) tsit8 tiam2 (a2) in the minimizing construction based on earlier Southern Min playscripts Li jing ji, Go-en, a Taiwanese-learning periodicals published in the Japanese period, and modern Southern Min texts. I mainly deal with the minimizing construction in noun phrases. The minimizer tiam2 evolves from its former existence as a classifier denoting a little drop of liquid. When it becomes a full-fledged minimal quantifier, the numeral it combines with can only be tsit8 ‘one’. There are two structures in negative, “bo5+ tsit8 tiam2+ NP” and “tsit8 tiam2+NP+Focus+ bo5”. Also, we found the former is seen in Go-en, and the latter usually seen in modern Southern Min texts that display the difference of structures from diachronic perspective. Moreover, the structure, which is commonly shown in Southern Min texts, “khah4+X+ tsit8 tiam2”, shares the same structure and semantic meaning with other minimizer like “tsit8-si4-a2” and “tsit8-su4-a2”. It denotes minimizing construction tends to behave the same from synchronic perspective. I also suggest that the minimizer tsit8 tiam2 is a negative polarity item (NPI) and it require focus in addition to negation in both subject and fronted-object positions. This can be explained by the Extended Mapping Hypothesis. Following Israel (2001), NPI can be an operator in scalar model. Thus, we considered tsit8 tiam2 as an scalar operator and the structure of “khah4+X+ tsit8 tiam2” develops the adverbial function to modify scalar adjectives. It also implies “the amount or the degree is less than the default but more than the initial value.” Last, there is a brief discussion about the development of grammaticalization of tsit8 tiam2. In short, the development of the minimizing construction maps the grammaticalization routes of historical change and partially demonstrates language universal.