On so-called 'empty particles' in Yue-Guangzhou: a study of aspect

This paper investigates the function of aspectual particles in Yue-Guangzhou (Cantonese), challenging the notion that certain preverbal and sentence-final particles are “empty” or semantically void. Through detailed syntactic and semantic analysis, the study demonstrates that these particles encode aspectual distinctions such as perfective, progressive, and experiential meanings. The author argues that their usage reflects nuanced temporal and discourse-related functions, contributing to clause interpretation and speaker intent. By examining naturalistic data and grammatical patterns, the paper reveals the particles’ role in structuring aspect and managing information flow. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of Yue grammar and offer broader implications for the study of aspectual systems in Sinitic languages (AI generated abstract, Copilot)