The stress-XP theory and Mandarin NVN phrase stress

This paper provides an analysis for the stress distribution of Mandarin phrases of the structure [V NP], [A NP], [AP (de) NP], and [NP N] and especially the more complex verb-embedded structures [NP [V N]], [[NP V] NP], and [[V NP] NP]. The analysis is based on Truckenbrodt’s (Brown (ed.) The encyclopedia of languages and linguistics, 2006; Borowsky et al. (eds.) Prosody matters: Essays in honor of Elisabeth Selkirk, 2012) Stress-XP theory, the general light noun phrase hypothesis, and the Mandarin-specific de-headed DP hypothesis. This paper also proposes a stress length correspondence criterion and argues that the stress assignment schemes it derives support the Stress-XP theory. A number of other related prosodic syntax issues in Chinese are discussed along the way, such as the means of stress realization, the compound vs. phrase distinction, and the difference between empty D head and implicit D head.