A Study On The Focusing Words In Modern Chinese

Focus marker is an important research subject of the focus theory. This thesis studies the modern Chinese focus marker and intensively discusses four focus markers "hi","zhi","jiu","cai" on both "form" and "function" in the frame of focus theory, with other relevant theories, such as, Alternative Semantics, Scale, Subjective Quantity, Semantic Orientation, and so on. This thesis not only establishes tripartite construction of the focus marker which is suitable for the modern Chinese but also gives a new definition about "the focus marker" in Chinese and deepens the knowledge of the nature and characteristics of Chinese focus marker. It argues that there is no pure focus marker in Chinese, but there are focus markers which are typical or not. This thesis provides a valuable mode for studying Chinese focus markers, enriches and completes the study of Chinese focus theory, and offers a helpful analytic pattern for Chinese adverb study. The result of this research can offer reference for Chinese information processing, and provide guidance for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.This thesis includes nine chapters with about280,000characters in total, as follows:Chapter one is the introduction, including the reason for choosing this subject, the research meaning and methods, the frame of this thesis, the sources of the corpus, and the relevant explanation.Chapter two reviews the former studies about focus and focus marker, and gives our critical viewpoint about these theories. This part also brings forward the tripartite structure view of Chinese focus and the cognition of the focus marker, explains the theoretical basis for this thesis, and does preparation for our discussion. This thesis first reviews the studies about the focus and the presupposition, and points out that every sentence has the presupposition; it agrees with the view that "the new information" is relatively new in the statement that "focus is the new information", and focus is a subjective one. This thesis also agrees that there is only one kind of focus and only one focus in a sentence. About the focus structure, this thesis holds the view that there are two types of tripartite structure of Chinese focus:dominant tripartite structure and recessive tripartite structure, and the dominant tripartite also has two kinds, which are focus sensitive structure and focus floating structure. The The recessive tripartite structure is appropriate for sentences in which the focus is the whole sentence. The broad and narrow focus structure should also be considered when studying Chinese focus structure, for example, the focus tripartite structure which has a focus marker can be classified broad focus tripartite structure and narrow focus tripartite structure. This thesis defines the focus marker as "the words restraint other parts in syntax, indicating the new information and highlighting the focus". The Chinese focus markers can be divided into two categories, one indicates the argument of event and the other indicates the whole event. This thesis also reviews the theories of Alternative Semantics, Scale and Subjective Quantity which this thesis will refer to when studying the focus marker.Chapter three discusses some focus semantic problems related to focus marker, and this chapter is a supplement and deepening to Chapter two. This chapter first discusses the relation between semantic orientation and focus, and points out that the semantic orientation of focus marker is just one kind of the semantic orientation phenomena. Focus marker’s scope is also the range of semantic orientation. The object which the semantic specifically directs to is the sentence’s focus. The semantic orientation leads to the focus sensitive structure, focus floating structure and recessive tripartite structure. This thesis also comes up with three concepts "lian","zhi",and "xiang". Inspired by the semantic orientation, this thesis researches into the four focus markers with two parameters——using field and semantic structure.In the respect of pragmatic mechanism, this thesis discusses the relation between focus and expectation as well as the focus choosing mechanism.About the former, this thesis points out that dispelling the expectation depends on the expression of the focus information. This thesis discusses the difference between expectation and presupposition, the classification of expectation, and the relationship between expectation and subjective quantity. About the latter, this thesis discusses from three layers:sentences with no focus marker, sentences with one focus marker, and sentences with more than two focus markers. This chapter puts forward the double proposition model which is based on the focus-presupposition theory and the focus tripartite structure.Chapter four is about the focus marker "shF. Both the ascensive "shi" and the affirmative "shi" are the focus markers. Breaking through the restriction of the cleft sentence, this chapter classifies sentences with focus marker "shi" into focus marking sentences with "shi" and focus marking sentences with "shi……de". This thesis intensively studies the "shi……de" sentences. For semantic structure,"shi" is model I and non-scalar, backward orientation. The ascensive "shi" is a strong focus marker, the affirmative "shi" is a weak focus marker. But both of them have the positive original meaning and negative pragmatic meaning, so they are exclusive. Neither of them is the pure focus marker.Chapter five is about the focus marker "zhi". For semantic structure,"zhi" is model I and scalar/non-scalar, orientating backward. The non-scalar "zhi" is to restrict the range, and is bidirectional exclusive. The scalar "zhi" is to express the subjective small quantity, and is unidirectional exclusive."Zhi" possesses the negative nature, and is floatable in syntax. This thesis also compares "shi" and "zhi" to point out that the ascensive "shi" is range-restrictive.Chapter six is about the focus marker "jiu". In the using field,"jiu" can be used in the fields of time, number, restriction, logical reasoning, discourse, and mood. About the semantic relevance type,"jiu" is classified to both model I and model Ⅱ."Jiu" of model I is scalar or non-scalar, orientating backward."Jiu" of model Ⅱ is only scalar, the tpye of "subjective small quantity+jiu+subjective big quantity", usually orientating backward. According to the using field and the semantic structure of "jiu" from synchronic perspective, combined with the diachronic evolution route,"jiu" can be divided to "jiu" and "jiu2"."jiu1"is mode Ⅱ, evolved from "jiu" which is a verb, expressing the space shift;"jiu2" is mode I, evolved from "jiu" which is a preposition. This thesis studies the semantic content and grammaticalized way of "jiu" and "ji2", and it holds the point that "jiu" expresses the time relationship in nature, and "jiu2"from the preposition has broken away from time."jiu1" which is mode Ⅱ is positive,"jiu2" which is mode I is negative.Chapter seven is about the focus marker "cai". For using field,"cai" can be used in the fields of time, number, logical reasoning, discourse, and mood. About the semantic relevance type,"cai" is classified to both model I and model Ⅱ, and both models of "cai" are scalar."Cai" of model I expresses the subjective small quantity, orientating backward;"cai" of model II is the type of "subjective big quantity+cai+subjective small quantity", usually orientating forward. According to the using field and the semantic structure of "cai" from synchronic perspective, combined with the diachronic evolution route,"cai" can be divided to "cai" and "cai2",too."cai"is mode I, evolved from "cai" which means "just now", and whose original meaning is "start";"cai2" is mode I, evolved from "cai1". This thesis studies the semantic content and grammaticalized way of "cai1" and "cai2",and it holds that "cai" expresses the time relationship in nature."Cai" is negative whether it belongs to model I or mode II. The thesis also compares "jiu" with "cai", and comes up with the reason why sometimes "jiu" and "cai" is opposite to each other, sometimes they are the same, and sometimes they are neither opposite nor different.Chapter eight discusses the property and characteristics of Chinese focus marker and representations of the four markers, which are based on the summarization of the semantic relevance type and semantic feature of the four focus marker. About the property and characteristics of Chinese focus marker, this thesis discusses the properties of Chinese focus marker, the judgment standard of the typical focus marker, and the evolution route of "shi","jiu"and "cai" which evolves from verb. About the representations of the four markers, this thesis discusses the co-occurrence phenomena with "le2" and between "zhi","jiu"and "cai"Chapter nine is the conclusion, including the primary viewpoints and problems solved in this thesis, pointing out the innovative points and some future topics to be explored.