‘被’의 정보구조와 전용(Co-optation) 기능에 대한 재해석: 전통 품사 분류의 재검토를 중심으로

Abstract

This study aims to reexamine the part-of-speech classification of bei(被) in Chinese bei-constructions beyond the form-centered approach of traditional grammar. To this end, it integrates Lambrecht’s(1994) theory of information structure with Heine et al.’s(2011, 2023) theory of cooptation, analyzing bei-constructions in the authentic discourse context of the television drama Home with Kids(Season 1). The analysis reveals that bei functions as a discourse-strategic marker that foregrounds the result or state of an event and adjusts the presupposition–assertion structure and focus structure, regardless of whether the agent is explicitly mentioned. Furthermore, among the effects of cooptation, expansion of semantic–pragmatic scope and syntactic change were observed, confirming that bei has shifted from being a mere passive marker to serving as a core resource for discourse–pragmatic strategies. Based on these findings, the study proposes that bei should be reclassified beyond the dichotomy of preposition versus particle as a discourse-marking passive particle, providing empirical grounds for a function-oriented restructuring of the traditional part-of-speech classification system.