Nandao-Qs: When Suprise Sparks Inquiry

Anshun Zheng

Keywords: Question Bias, Polar Question Particle, Evidential Modification, Rhetorical Question

TL;DR: A paper about a discourse marker that encodes unexpected evidence in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract:

This paper investigates the semantics and pragmatics of nandao-Qs in Mandarin, focusing
on their evidential properties. While previous studies have treated nandao as a biased question
word or a rhetorical device (Alleton 1988, Gong 1995, Xu 2012, 2017), I argue that nandao-
Qs encode evidential signals and reflect the speaker’s confrontation with unexpected contextual
evidence. Drawing on insights from the Kernel-based framework from Von Fintel & Gillies
(2010), this paper demonstrates that nandao-Qs highlight an incompatible Kernel, representing
an epistemic conflict that arises from either disbelief or unopinionatedness. Furthermore, using
the decision-theoretic account proposed by Van Rooy & Safarova (2003), I explore how the so-
called public bias in nandao-Qs can be derived through pragmatic reasoning. Finally, I examine
the relationship between nandao-Qs and rhetorical questions, establishing that while nandao
creates an environment conducive to rhetorical interpretation, it does not inherently constitute a
rhetorical question. This analysis offers a unified account that integrates previous approaches and
sheds light on the broader discourse functions of nandao, particularly in conveying incredulity
(Jing-Schmidt 2008) and managing epistemic states.

Submission Number: 38