Topics On Modal Adverbs In Pre-Qin Chinese

Subjectivity was described as the core feature of modality by Lyons(1977) and Palmer(1986). Following this viewpoint, we propose that eight types of modal adverbs can be identified in Pre-Qin Chinese, which are:a. counter-expected, b. emphatic-assertive, c. deductive(necessity), d. speculative(possibility), e. refutative, f. optative, g. requestive, h. honorific. This dissertation is concerned primarily with the syntactic distribution and discourse function of modal adverbs from Pre-Qin philosophical and historical texts. Additionally, this study also examines the semantic change of some modal adverbs from the perspective of their polysemy.Chapter 1 introduces the scope and nature of this study and lays methodological groundwork for the analysis. Additionally, a review of previous research is also included in this chapter.Chapter 2～8 present a detailed description of modal adverb system in Pre-Qin Chinese, with emphasis on syntactic and discourse functions.A. Syntactic distribution. Our survey on the position, linear order, [adverb-auxiliary] collaboration, root clause/embedding clause, setence-type distrubution, A'-movement shows that:a) their occurrence of sentence-initial depend heavily on the grammatical and pragmatic value of the subject; b) epistemic adverbs always precede others, but adverbs expressing counter-expectation and speaker-oriented modality seldom co-occur with other adverbs except with negative items, epistemic ones can be used in collaboration with several kinds of modals, and counter-expected ones can only be used in collaboration with dynamic modals; c) epistemic adverbs can move from embedded clause to matrix clause, that is A-to-A raising. d) honorific adverbs normally occupy lower structural positions because they only index the relative social status of the speech event participants.B.discourse function. Our survey on discourse linking, contrasitivity, factivity, deictic, speaker's attitude, politeness shows that:a) each kind of modal adverbs have its own pragmatic value; b) several adverbs of the same subcategory may have some distributional differences, those are dependent on their difference on the discourse level; c) the modal meaning may have an impact on the discourse function of some adverbs.Chapter 9～11 is an in-depth look at the semantic change paths concerned with some adverbs.Chapter 9:Apart from being a counter-expected adverb, zeng(曾)also performs a number of pragmatic functions (focus particle, refutative marker, NPI) as a result of semantic change. We reconstruct the semantic change path with the help of distributional grey zone between meanings.Chapter 10:Most modern chinese dialects have different lexical selections in expressing the meaning'truth-emphasizing' and 'urgency in question', and a few dialects in Sino-Tibetan use the same marker when expressing these meanings, the same polysemy can be also observed in Old Chinese. We proposed that the semantic change direction of modal adverb'cheng'(诚)and'guo'(果)should be [truth-emphasizing> urgency in question], the semantic reanalysis shows a close relationship with the change of sentence-type distribution. The scope-expanding of adverb'cheng'(诚)and'guo'(果)should be an immediate result of semantic change.Chapter 11:The polyfunctional word'Qi'(其)have a series of correlative usages: presumption, intention, wish/hope, request, assumption and refutation. The poly-functional phenomenon of'Qi'(其)can be regarded as an indirect evidence of semantic change. Inspired by The Semantic Map Connectivity Hypothesis, the author reconstruct three semantic change paths of'Qi':1. presumption>wish/hope>request >intention; 2. presumption>refutation; 3.presumption>assumption.Chapter 12 summarizes the conclusions of this study.