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Abstract Abstract: This paper attempts to make a diachronic and typological investigation into the Chinese “MP+LE+A” construction concerning its historical development, language typology and declining reasons within the framework of language evolution to make up for the deficiency of previous studies. The analysis shows that: Firstly, the construction appeared in pre-Qin periods, ripened in Ming and Qing, and is declining at present, featured by its simple structure, object-oriented syntax, formal genre and low-frequency use. Secondly, Chinese is typologically mixed in terms of its numeral constructions with the declining of the “MP+LE+A” construction and the dominating of the “MP+A” construction. Finally, the decline of the “MP+LE+A” construction is driven by the joint forces of informal communication genres, and the advantages of the more simple, flexible and rich “MP+A” construction over the “MP+LE+A” construction. The findings may contribute to the further research concerning the Chinese typology and numeral constructions.
Key words: “MP+LE+A” construction; language typology; language evolution
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