Abstract: This paper describes the meaning and usage of multifunctional morpheme “diao”(掉)of Dilao dialect in Bobai, exploring the relationship between the various functions, and accordingly generalizing a grammaticalization pattern of the morpheme. The position of “diao” is similar to that of “le₁”(了₁) and “le₂”(了₂)in mandarin. “V+ diao” should be followed by a measure object complement, which indicates that the action has been completed and realized forcefully, and the speaker thinks it more than the amount measure words describe. “V+ diao” shows a short time attempt by diminutive. When “diao” is at the end of a sentence, it indicates the action will be realized in the future, and the speaker is amazed at occurrences of unexpected situations. “Diao” is a fully developed multifunctional morpheme.

Key words: Dilao dialect in Bobai, “diao”, multifunctionality, grammaticalization