MCLC: dissent speaks code (6)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Anne Henochowicz <annemh at alumni.upenn.edu>
Subject: dissent speaks code (6)
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>From my understanding, bei was in use as the passive marker before the
20th century, but always conveyed misfortune or adversity. In the early
20th century, Chinese translators adapted the bei construction to reflect
its neutrality in German, English, and French texts. However, it appears
the original sense of misfortune has lingered.

Interestingly, the passive voice also conveys adversity in other Asian
languages beyond the Sino-Tibetan family, including Japanese, Vietnamese,
and Thai. See Li and Thompson's chapter on the bei construction here:

<http://books.google.com/books?id=njea2LBW4jcC&lpg=PA501&dq=the%20bei%20con
struction&pg=PA493#v=onepage&q=the%20bei%20construction&f=false>.

Anne