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Presupposition Analysis In Linguisitics

Posted on:2007-09-28Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:C YangFull Text:PDF
GTID:1115360185978997Subject:Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
There are signs that more attention is devoted to the subject on the connection of form and meaning in linguistic researches, as promoted by the innovation in Chinese grammar research in 1990s. The presupposition theory, borrowed from European and American researchers, is becoming one part in Chinese language researches and playing an important role in current linguistic analysis. As a result, presupposition is becoming a significant topic in semantics and pragmatics and grammarians are increasingly using the methods for presupposition analysis. Presupposition has a unique usefulness in language expressions, so if there are reasonable explanations on the subjects related to it and the methods for its analysis are properly used in linguistic analysis, then the range and depth of linguistic research would be extended greatly. This dissertation is an attempt to provide a deep investigation on presupposition phenomenon, using logical, semantic and pragmatic theory, combining with related theory in cognitive linguistics.There are seven chapters as below.Chapter 1 assumes that presupposition is a necessary element in language expressions, catering to the requirement of the principle of economy. Presupposition in language expressions is relative to many subjects in linguistic research and theoretically, the research on it has significant value. It is also useful for L2, language testing, lexicographic and information processing applications.Chapter 2 makes a survey and an evaluation about the history and current situation of presupposition research. Based on the positive evaluation on the research results, it points out the problems in current Chinese study on presupposition.Chapter 3 investigates the characters of presupposition, focusing on semantic presupposition and pragmatic presupposition. After confirming that presupposition, in nature, belongs to the speakers, we categorize it as semantic presupposition and pragmatic one. this opinion not only recognizes the pragmatic features of presupposition, but also makes it clearer that presupposition analysis could be separated from context. This chapter also discusses the relationship between presupposition and negation, based on the evaluation of existing means for presuppositions judgment. What's more, it tries to explain the pragmatic cause for negative presupposition.Chapter 4 focuses on the distinguishes between presupposition and entailment and implicature, pointing out that current study is confusing when using the three concepts and entailment is contrast with semantic presupposition and implicature with pragmatic one. Then it propose the methods for distinguishing entailment and semantic presupposition and implicature and pragmatic one. At last, it shows the relation framework based on distinguishing the three concepts.Chapter 5 provides a theory basis for chapter 6. It investigates various possible triggers, evaluates the existing theory about projection theory, assumes that there are elements in sentences and elements out of sentences for the realizations of pre-supposition and makes a deep discuss on them respectively.Chapter 6 analyzes some phenomena on presupposition in modern Chinese, using the categorization of semantic presupposition and pragmatic presupposition, pre-supposition theory and the concept of mental space in cognitive linguistics. It investigates the elements in sentences for the realization of pre-suppositions and argues there are some principles and methods needing to notice in presupposition analysis in linguistic research.Chapter 7 draws conclusions and evaluates the research of this dissertation, pointing out the creative ideas in it and some short hands and proposing some extensive subjects in future research on presupposition.
Keywords/Search Tags:presupposition, semantic presupposition, pragmatic presupposition, conventional presupposition, pre-supposition, actual presupposition, presupposition triggers, pragmatic inference, entailment, implicature, mental space
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