Grammar Study On Ningbo Dialect

This dissertation has eight chapters, elucidating six grammatical categories of Ningbo dialect: verb aspects, reduplication, negation, comparison, interrogative and passive.Chapter one is an introduction to the geographic situation and history of Ningbo and the initial consonants, rhythmic entries and tones of Ningbo Dialect, and its up-to-date research. The structure of the dissertation and its theoretical background are also explained. And the morphology of Ningbo dialect is briefly summarized.Chapter two is especially devoted to the discussion of the verb aspects of Ningbo Dialect. The verb aspects in Ningbo dialect fall into three major kinds: incepting aspect, persisting aspect and accomplishing aspect. Persisting aspect can be divided into five subclasses, which are progressing, continuing, going-on, persisting, and attempting. Accomplishing aspect is subdivided into four classes: accomplishing, foreordain, accomplishing-persistent and experience. Chapter analyzed the various forms of aspects in Ningbo Dialect, for example, the progressing and the persisting of Ningbo dialect are concomitant, and the aspectualizer of the former is "Lai (来) ", whereas the aspectualizer of the latter is "De (的) ";accomplishing and the accomplishing and the persistent coexist, the aspectualizer of the former is "Le (勒) ,Zi (仔) , and Lei ((口雷)) ", and the aspectualizer of the latter is "Delei (的 (口雷)) ". The discovery of these phenomena provided complementary materials for further study of the aspect and voice system of entire Chinese dialect.Chapter three studies the reduplication-pattern of Ningbo dialect. The reduplicate form and syntax characteristic of noun, verb, adjective, measure words of Ningbo dialect were researched respectively. From the point of view of the form, the reduplicate form of noun is AA and AABB;the reduplicate form of verb AA, ABAB and " A Ji A Ji (A 记A记)";the reduplicate form of adjective AA, ABAB, AABB, AAB, ABB, and "A Li (里) AB";the reduplicate form of measure words AA, "A Da (打) A". The reduplicate form "A Ji ( 记 ) A Ji (记) " is exclusively used in verbs, which could be used as a referenced standard for distinguishing verbs from adjectives. The reduplicate form "A Li (里) AB" is exclusively used in adjectives, which could be used as another referenced standard for setting verbs apart from adjectives. The reduplicate form "A Da (打) A" is exclusively used in measure words. From the semantics view of reduplication, reduplication of verb could denote intermittence in briefly, persistence, attemptance;the reduplication of adjective could mostly denote vitality;the reduplication of noun could denote "small" or "all around";the reduplication of measurewords mainly denote muchness, all around or apple pie order. Because of the consistency of the reduplication of adjective and the state adjective, the characteristic of state adjective of Ningbo dialect was especially elucidated.Chapter four concentrates on the analysis of negative sentence of Ningbo dialect. The negatives of Ningbo dialect consisted of three classes, which were (1) basic single-sound, such as "Wu (^J) ", "Fu (#) ", "Mo (M) ", "Wu (9g) ", and "Mei (&) ";(2) synaeresis word which was form by pure negative with usual verb, auxiliary, or time adverb, further condensing to a syllable;(3) complex negative form which were negative phrase composed of single-sound or synaeresis word of negatives and other words, such as "Wumei (9gS:) and Wugao (9g ft )". Moreover, certain negative structures, used specially structure components, constitute some format expressing negative, such as "VP Wulai(#J5fe)", "VP Wuguo (#J&)", and "VP Wude (20#)". The negative sentence composed of above three classes of negative was discussed. And the "Wu (%}) " sentence, "Mei ($￡) " sentence, "Mo(j|D" sentence, "Wu(9c)" sentence, negative sentence with synaeresis word, and negative sentence with compound negative form were emphatically investigated. To start with negative meaning, we analyzed syntax form and semantic characteristics of grammatical component related to negation structure in all kinds of sentences.Chapter five: comparative sentence of Ningbo dialect. According to common taxonomy of comparative sentence in grammatical group, comparative construction of Ningbo dialect was divided into discrepancy comparison, superlative comparison, succession comparison, and equality comparison. Construction form of above mentioned comparative sentences were discussed, and the characteristics of syntax meaning of comparative item and conclusive item in "A Bi (tfc) B W" sentence was emphatically investigated. And the ellipsis of comparative item was also investigated.Chapter six: interrogative sentence of Ningbo dialect. In this chapter, Yes-no question, alternative question, special question, and positive and negative sentence was discussed on syntax form and semantic characteristics, usage of non-question of interrogative sentence was simply discussed simultaneously. By investigating the word "Va ("$) " of Ningbo dialect, the author considered that "Vula (^Jlfi) " and "Va ("$) " respectively represent reduplicative and appending methods in syntax form, and thus deduced that"Va (*$) " would be replacing "Vula (ty I? ) " and turn into a mood word of sentence end of yes-no question, such as mandarin "Ma (^) " that couldn't directly identify the origin of negativity, in the future. One of the most approaches of the origin of mood word of Chinese interrogative sentence is the synaeresis of negative and mood word in sentence end.Chapter seven: passive sentence of Ningbo dialect. Passive-mark sentence of Ningbo dialect, structure X, Y> VP of passive sentence and passive-mark "De (%) ", and the syntax semanticcharacteristics of mood word in sentence end were investigated, which was compared with passive sentence in Chinese mandarin. At the same time, by investigating the history of the passive-mark "De (#) " of Ningbo dialect, we analyzed different meanings entanglement among sentence in passive form, with the meaning of awarding and disposition and explored the grammaticalization of passive-mark "De (f#) ".Chapter eight is a conclusion, which elucidated some considering about dialect research.In a summary, this dissertation researched some part of Ningbo dialect grammar, taking the depiction and excavation of syntax fact as stress, exhibiting inherent syntax form and special usage of Ningbo dialect by full and accurate dialect materials, and investigating Mandarin-Dialect difference, diachronic evolvement, and synchronic distributing status of several syntax phenomena of Ningbo dialect involved in relative chapters according to the "the clause-centered theory" and "clause-governing theory". A general picture of grammar of Ningbo dialect, especially in syntax, was constructed, which was the complement of syntax research of Ningbo dialect. The author deemed inherent form of dialect, which reflected the peculiarity and individuality of dialect and revealed the relationship among dialect best of all, was worthy of attaching more importance to. The investigation of characteristic of grammar phenomena and revealment of its terrain distributing not only serve for constituting syntax system of one place dialect, but also supply certain reference for consummation of syntax system, scientific distributing of dialect, and classification conclusion of linguist for whole Chinese language.