A Pilot Study Of Meta-Language In Explanation Of Verb

In the study, we try to show the way of finding out limited contemporary Chinese words to explain the meaning of the vocabulary of the language. We believe that using the same words to represent the same semantic features of synonym can cut down the words we need in explaining the meaning of synonym.Class word is a word which shows the class that a word in. We suggest that we unify the class words of synonym in the study of meta-language. Through the explanation of the dictionary, key verbs of synonym can be found. With the help of the key verbs, we can discover class word of each synonym. Class word which most synonymous verbs used is qualified to stand for the class word of the group. Having tested the applicability of the class word of the group and tested it with Basic Expression Patterns, class word that passed both tests can be considered to be the class word of meta-language.Class words with the supplementary of other possible semantic features can be used to explain the meaning of synonym. Unifying the words and expression of those possible semantic features' explanations can further lower down the amount of words used for explanation of the meaning of synonymous verbs. Through word frequency count, metal-language for explanation of verbs can be obtained.The objectives of the study are to prove that:1. It is possible to find out the class words for explanation of verbs with the help of dictionaries.2. With the addition of other possible semantic features, class words of metalanguage can be used to explain the meaning of synonym.3. With the usage of class words, the amount of main verbs used in explaining the meaning of synonym can be cut down.4. The study of class words of meta-language can help to organize words into a semantic system.In our study,it is found that:...