A Study On Body Nouns Classifier From Cognitive Perspective

Classifier is a special part of speech in Chinese,and the study of the internal small classes in the academic circle has always been in progress,but it still fails to form a relatively systematic result for the time being.In this paper,we combine the theory of cognitive linguistics with the traditional research in Chinese that teasing diachronic linguistic data,to clarify the evolution path of a number of body nouns classifiers and summarize the relevant rules.The full text is divided into six chapters.The first chapter introduces the research situation of classifier in Chinese and the relevant theoretical knowledge of cognitive linguistics.We also explain the research ideas,research methods and innovation of this paper.In the second chapter,we define the Chinese body nouns classifier,and make the corresponding reclassification of 34 body nouns classifiers selected according to different methods:one is on the basis of the degree of grammaticalization,we divide the body nouns classifiers into two categories:prototype classifier and non-prototype classifier.The other is according to the mode of grammaticalization,we divide the body nouns classifiers into another two categories:similarity classifiers and correlation classifiers.Among them,the correlation classifier includes metonymy body nouns classifier and container body nouns classifier.In the third,fourth and fifth chapter,we selected three representative body nouns classifiers—"head","thigh" and "stomach".The process of the evolution from noun to classifier was teased,and some other body nouns classifiers,which were similar in the evolution process,were combined to explain their respective categorization processes.In the sixth chapter,we summarize the research contents of the full text and propose some thoughts on the essential functions of classifiers in Chinese.By teasing the diachronic data and combining the theories of cognitive linguistics such as metaphor,metonymy and prototype category theory,we make some summaries:1.The semantic of noun is the basis of the related classifier,and the principle of "maintenance" will be strictly followed in the process of categorization of classifiers;2,cognition plays an important role in the process of grammaticalization of classifiers.The real objective world determines the human cognition and then determines the appearance of the language we use;3.With long-term use,the meaning of the body nouns classifier is further generalized,the scope of the modified object extends,the degree of grammaticalization deepens,and the categorization is more significant;4,the function of the classifier can be changed with the development of its grammaticalization.The essential individual marker function runs through all the time,while the secondary classificatory function changes,which has a tendency to increase first and then gradually weakens.