The Cognitive Study On Metaphor In Chinese Modifier-Head Construction

This dissertation focuses on the Modifier-head construction of Modern-Chinese. On the basis of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, the author try to disclose the special system in the process of meaning construction in Chinese Modifier-head construction (we call it CMHC for short in the following) and the cognitive factors when it is organized and understood. That is metaphor(metonymy is included). The author explores the syntactic and semantic traits, the types, ways and the function system of metaphor in CMHC. And try to discover the characters in its cognitive strategies and ways of encode. The target is to grasp the construction rules of Chinese syntactic structure accurately and disclose the function of metaphor in human cognition.This dissertation consists of ten chapters. The body of this writing has been arranged as the followings:Chapter One reviews the study of metaphor and CMHC, including their history and present situation. This part also shows the content, meaning and methods of this research.Chapter Two deals with the cognitive view to metaphor and Conceptual Metaphor Theory. By comparing the different definitions of metaphor, ancient or contemporary, aboard or inside, the author distinct traditional and cognitive notion on metaphor and show the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, on which this dissertation is based.Chapter Three deals with the conflict and the similarity in metaphor of CMHC. The author give the criterion of distinguish metaphor and no-metaphor in CMHC, they are semantic conflict and pragmatic conflict. Also disclose its similarity traits and point out conflict is superficial while the similarity is in nature. This part also concerns the trait in the selection of target domain.Chapter Four deals with the semantic structure of metaphor in CMHC. It includes the patterns of semantic structure and their semantic relation. It is divided into five various kinds according to the situation of the occurrence of source domain and target domain. Then the semantic structure and relationship of each kind is probed into through the different attribute of its components.Chapter Five deals with suitability between CMHC and metaphor and the function system of metaphor in CMHC. By analyzing the construction and function of metaphor in CMHC, the author draws a conclusion that there is high suitability between CMHC and metaphor. That is why there are more metaphors in CMHC. This chapter studies on...