The Study On The Highest Degree Adverbs In Mandarin

This dissertation mainly focuses on the highest degree adverbs in Mandarin and its corresponding questions. Besides the foreword and the conclusion, it is divided into three chapters:Chapter one emphatically discusses selectional restriction of the highest degree adverbs to the three kinds of full words and its phrases, and summarizes the semantic general character of three kinds of full word and its phrases that can be modified by the highest degree adverbs: unbounded sense of quality and state. Certainly, each word of the highest degree adverbs when matching with three kind of full words and its phases is different in the degree of freedom. At the same time, the pattern that is formed by the highest degree adverbs combined with the modified component involves three kinds: fronting, postposing and double one on the tactic mode.Chapter two analyzes the grammaticalization process of two groups of the highest degree adverbs. As we know, in the grammaticalization mechanism, the highest degree adverbs are all formed as a result of "generalization", "metaphor" as well as "adjacent context". After completing thoroughly "first grammaticalization", they become degree adverbs, their tactic ability strengthen gradually, that is to say, they can modify and qualify some sub-categories of three kinds of full words and its phrases. At the same time, with the tactic ability strengthening the monosyllabic highest degree adverbs develop to the morpheme. Based on this factor, the grammaticalization of the relative highest degree adverbs don't ended, but are under the influence of the subjectivisation to carry on, finally the absolute highest degree adverbs "zui₂⁵¹" and "ding₂²¹⁴" come into being. This belongs to "second grammaticalization". Obviously, the development of the highest degree adverbs manifests the laws of grammaticalization: accumulation and supplanting, derivation and division, conservativeness and imbalance.Chapter three explores internal differences of the some selected highest degree adverbs. The research discovers that the difference between the relative degree adverb "zui⁵¹" and the relative degree adverb "ding²¹⁴" lies in the syntax and expression. The absolute degree adverb "ji³⁵" and the absolute degree adverb "zhi⁵¹" have the various characters in the syntax, genre, prosody, tactic position and so on. The original degree adverb "zui⁵¹" differs from the reduplicative "zui⁵¹-zui⁵¹" in the aspect of the tactic selection, semantic value and modal intensity. The formation of such differences are all closely linked with different degrees of grammaticalization, the different occasion of utilization as well as human's psychological factors of using language.