The Temporal Construction "VP (zhi) ci" in Zutangji and its Rise and Fall: Based on the Comparison with "VP (zhi) shi"

The temporal constructions ended with "ci"(次) and "shi"(时) in Zutangji(《祖堂集》)share the similar meaning and usage. But there are also many differences between them: The construction "VP (zhi) ci" has many restrictions in syntax, semantics and pragmatics, and is used in written and narrative context.However, the construction "VP (zhi) shi" has stronger compatibility in syntax, semantic and has more flexible functions, distributing more widely in text. That is, the former can be contained from the latter in respects of structure, function and usage. The construction "VP (zhi) ci" appeares in Chinese literatures in the Han Dynasty, and is widely used in Zen Literatures in Tang and Song Dynasties. The construction "VP(zhi) ci" is a limited community utterance and is putted at an inferior status in language competition. Thus it disappeared later with the decline of Zen.