序 Acknowledgements 中文摘要 Abstract Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Middle constructions in languages 1.2 The middle construction and middle semantics 1.3 Studies on middles: past and present 1.4 Methodology and procedures 1.5 Goals of this study 1.6 A sketch map of the thesis Chapter 2 Characteristics of Middles in West-Germanic Languages 2.1 Semantic classification of middles 2.2 The syntactic features of middles in West-Germanic languages 2.3 Semantic characteristics of middles in West-Germanic languages 2.4 Selectional restrictions on verbs and adverbials in middles 2.5 Summary Chapter 3 The Realization of Middle Semantics in Chinese 3.1 Chinese qilai construction 3.2 A preliminary syntactic analysis of the qilai construction 3.3 Middle voice verbs and the middle construction 3.4 The realization of middle semantics in the qilai construction 3.5 Restrictions on qilai construction 3.6 The status and function of qilai 3.7 Other issues in middles 3.8 Summary Chapter 4 Atypical Middles in Chinese and West-Germanic languages 4.1 Syntactic classification of middles 4.2 Adjunct middles in West-Germanic languages 4.3 Adjunct middles in Chinese 4.4 The difference between typical and adjunct middles 4.5 Adjunct middles in Topic-prominent Chinese 4.6 Adjunct middles and instrument-subject clauses 4.7 Diverse semantic relations between Chinese verbs and their objects 4.8 Impersonal middles 4.9 Summary Chapter 5 Middles and Tough Constructions 5.1 Two hot topics in the past 25 years 5.2 Chinese nanyi construction and English tough construction 5.3 Asymmetry between TC and MC 5.4 A systematic comparison between TC and facility MC 5.5 Summary Chapter 6 Middles and Syntactically Similar Constructions 6.1 Introduction 6.2 English middles and ergatives 6.3 English middles and intransitive actives 6.4 Middles and transitive actives 6.5 The meaning of the construction 6.6 Other types of qilai constructions 6.7 Other typesof nanyi constructions 6.8 Other types of reflexive constructions in German 6.9 Summary Chapter 7 The Two MF Approaches and Their Problems 7.1 The movement and non-movement approaches to MF 7.2 The main arguments of the Movement Approach 7.3 The dilemma for the Movement Approach to MF 7.4 Major arguments of the lexical approach 7.5 Problems of the lexical approach 7.6 Summary Chapter 8 A Cognitive Approach to Middle Construction 8.1 The need of a new account 8.2 Theoretical framework 8.3 The middle profile 8.4 The construction of meaning and the meaning of construction 8.5 Middle construction and virtual reality 8.6 Events and properties 8.7 Chinese qilai constructions 8.8 Impersonal middles and the reflexive sich in German 8.9 Summary Chapter 9 Conditions on Middle Formation 9.1 The restriction on MF is a notorious question 9.2 The condition on MF 9.3 Other factors affecting the acceptability of middles 9.4 Productivity of middles 9.5 The selection restrictions on MF 9.6 Summary Chapter 10 Integrating the Features of Middles 10.1 Two central properties of middles 10.2 Integrating IA, AM and AE 10.3 Integrating tense, genericity and non-eventiveness 10.4 Summary Chapter 11 Conclusion 11.1 Major findings of this study 11.2 Implications of this study 11.3 Limitations of this study 11.4 Suggestions for further research References Author Index Subject Index