The Role of Syntactic Structures in Shaping Directionality in Trisyllabic Tone Sandhi: Evidence from Tianjin Mandarin
Abstract
Prior studies reported inconsistent syntactic influence on trisyllabic tone sandhi directionality in Tianjin Mandarin. This study investigates the role of six syntactic structures and generational differences in the application of sandhi rules, analyzing seven trisyllabic tone patterns across two structural configurations ("2+1"/"1+2"), with data from 26 native speakers. Key findings are: 1) T4-T4-T1 pattern triggers right-edge sandhi, producing a novel T4-T2-T1 pattern. 2) T3-T1-T1 pattern exhibits one-round sandhi in VP+N, A+NP, N+NP, Q+NP, and V+NP structures, but two-round application in NP+N. 3) Diachronic shifts: the absence of T4-T4 sandhi and the replacement of T1-T1→T3-T1 with T1-T1→T2-T1 apply universally across generations, restructuring trisyllabic outcomes without altering directionality. These findings clarify syntax-sandhi interplay and generational variation in Tianjin Mandarin, revealing systematic directional patterns tied to syntactic structures.