Concluding Remarks

Abstract

In this book, adopting a syntax-semantics mapping approach, I have studied affixal quantification with special reference to three Cantonese affixal quantifiers -hoi ‘open’, -saai ‘all’ and -maai ‘add’. What is peculiar about these verbal suffixes is that they are morphologically attached to verbs but are semantically possible to interpret with all verbal arguments. Hence, these suffixes are essentially quantificational, since it is from the suffix that the quantificational meaning of the sentence in question is derived. Therefore, I have instead argued that -hoi, -saai and -maai are quantifiers, performing generic, universal and additive quantification, respectively.