Abstract
The evolution of the V-de-C construction, a variation of the Chinese V-C construction, can be traced back to the 7th-10th centuries, when two de- phrases of different origin split through context-induced reinterpretation, and meanwhile, merge altogether due to the historical trend of compounding and syntactic reanalysis. It brings about five major types and three minor types of de- phrases by the 12th century. These types then undergo a series of historical changes, including replacements, deletions and further merges. Subsequently, only two types in the form of V-de-C survive into modern-day Mandarin.