本书所指的焦点结构包括句子层面的焦点和句子内成分的焦点。考察所覆盖的实证范围较以往的研究更广，也与类型学层面上对分裂句的研究发现相呼应。本书既面向汉语史研究人员和学生，也面向一切对句法学、语义学，尤其是焦点结构相关话题有兴趣的读者。

 本书基于历史语料库，考察汉语史上主系表构式的语义演变轨迹。在前贤的个例描述基础上，本书开创性地从整个汉语史的跨度，揭示出不同阶段的系词统一地呈现出发展为分裂构式的语法化模式。本书进而提出，主系表和分裂构式在发生学上的紧密关系揭示了两个构式在句法结构上具有同一性，即分裂构式本质上是一种主系表结构。从焦点语义的来源来看，如果系词只起到建立主语和表语之间的述谓关系的连接作用的话，则它不是焦点标记，那么焦点的意义就不是来自焦点标记，而是来自充当焦点的短语。分裂构式的焦点来源问题是焦点语义理论的核心问题。本书采用形式语义学-历史语言学界面的理论框架，不仅填补了分裂构式的语法化进程这一实证空白，而且通过句法演变的证据试图解决语义理论的争议。

 Preface
1 Overview
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definitions
1.3 General information
2 Previous Literature
2.1 The semantics of the copula and its role in focus marking
2.1.1 Higgins, Richard. 1979.
2.1.2 Mikkelsen, Line. 2005, 2011.
2.1.3 The copula in the cleft constructions
2.2 Previous works on the cleft construction in Mandarin
Chinese
2.2.1 Teng, Shou-Hsin. 1979.
2.2.2 Huang, C-T. James. 1982.
2.2.3 Zhu, Yao. 1996.
2.2.4 Li, N Charles & Thompson, Sandra. 1989.
2.2.5 Cheng, Lisa. 2008.
2.2.6 Hole, Daniel. 2011.
2.2.7 von Prince, Kilu. 2012.
2 Copula in Focus Constructions
2.2.8 Zhan, Fangqiong & Sun, Chaofen. 2013.
2.2.9 Other works
2.3 Grammaticalization of copulas in historical Chinese
2.3.1 The grammaticalization of the copula wei
2.3.2 The grammaticalization of the copula shi
2.3.3 The grammaticalization of the copula xi
2.3.4 Interim Summary
3 The copula wei（唯）in Pre-Classical Chinese
3.1 Overview
3.2 Wei’s non-copular uses
3.3 The distribution of wei in copular clauses
3.4 The decline of wei’s copular use
4 The copula shi（是）in Early Medieval Chinese
4.1 The reanalysis of shi into a copula
4.2 The distribution of shi in copular clauses
4.3 Shi in cleft constructions
5 The copula xi（系）in Late Medieval Chinese
5.1 The reanalysis of xi into a copula
5.2 The distribution of xi in copular clauses
5.3 Xi in cleft constructions
5.4 Modern day pattern
5.5 Summary
6 Conclusion
Contents
Sources
Preface
1 Overview
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Definitions
1.3 General information
2 Previous Literature
2.1 The semantics of the copula and its role in focus marking
2.1.1 Higgins, Richard. 1979.
2.1.2 Mikkelsen, Line. 2005, 2011.
2.1.3 The copula in the cleft constructions
2.2 Previous works on the cleft construction in Mandarin
Chinese
2.2.1 Teng, Shou-Hsin. 1979.
2.2.2 Huang, C-T. James. 1982.
2.2.3 Zhu, Yao. 1996.
2.2.4 Li, N Charles & Thompson, Sandra. 1989.
2.2.5 Cheng, Lisa. 2008.
2.2.6 Hole, Daniel. 2011.
2.2.7 von Prince, Kilu. 2012.
2 Copula in Focus Constructions
2.2.8 Zhan, Fangqiong & Sun, Chaofen. 2013.
2.2.9 Other works
2.3 Grammaticalization of copulas in historical Chinese
2.3.1 The grammaticalization of the copula wei
2.3.2 The grammaticalization of the copula shi
2.3.3 The grammaticalization of the copula xi
2.3.4 Interim Summary
3 The copula wei（唯）in Pre-Classical Chinese
3.1 Overview
3.2 Wei’s non-copular uses
3.3 The distribution of wei in copular clauses
3.4 The decline of wei’s copular use
4 The copula shi（是）in Early Medieval Chinese
4.1 The reanalysis of shi into a copula
4.2 The distribution of shi in copular clauses
4.3 Shi in cleft constructions
5 The copula xi（系）in Late Medieval Chinese
5.1 The reanalysis of xi into a copula
5.2 The distribution of xi in copular clauses
5.3 Xi in cleft constructions
5.4 Modern day pattern
5.5 Summary
6 Conclusion
Contents
Sources