On Potential Category Of Mandarin Chinese

This dissertation studies the potential category in mandarin Chinese, mainly including potential auxiliary verb and potential verb-complement , under the modality theory. Our research focuses on the potential auxiliary verb and the potential verb-complement.There are five chapters and about 140,000 charicaters in the paper. In the introductory chapter, according to the semantic classification of the potential category put forward by Fuxiang Wu(2002b), we define the extension of the potential category, including the potential auxiliary verb neng,huì,kěyǐ,kěnéng,bùzhǔn,bùxǔ,the non-typical member yīnggāi, and the potential verb-complement 'V delbu C .In the end of this chapter, the source of the corpus and the explaination for symbols used in the dissertation are given. In chapter 2, the relation between the potential category and modal category are set up so as to introduce some related theories of modality for the research on the potential category. According to the diagram of modality semantic type drew by Palmer(2001) , we argue that the potential category belongs to a sub-category, the five semantic sub-categories of the potential category are corresponding to the three modal semantic types of the modal category. The correspondences are semantic sub-category 1 and 2 to the dynamic modality, semantic sub-category 4 and 5 to the deontic modality, semantic sub-category 3 to the epistemic modality. Then by examples we set forth four arguments related to this dissertation, which are 1) among the dynamic modality, the deontic modality, the epistemic modality, there exists a process of grammaticalization, and the epistemic modality is the end of the process, 2) among the modality meanings, there exists a fuzzy state which is transitional , 3) the pragmatic inference is the mechanisms of evolution of modality meaning, 4) the dynamic modality belongs to the modality, but it owns the specific property that it does not express the views of the speaker usually but express properties of the agent of the event. What's more, it has nothing to do with proposition, and something to do with the holding of events , but it does not express the speaker's attitudes toward the holding of events.Chapter 3, mainly investigates the meaning of the potential modal auxiliary verb in mandarin Chinese, is one part of the main body. Firstly, according to the specific properties of the dynamic modality, we analysis the transitional features of the potential modal auxiliary verb from the aspects of speaker-agent of event, proposition-event. The second section overally discusses the asymmetries of the potential category, including the asymmetry in the modality semantic type and the one in the frequency of using. The third section, being the focus of chapter 3, mainly discuss the semantic of potential auxiliary verb from the angle of its semantic orientation.The semantic orientation of hui is agreement. While expressing epistemic modality, it means that the speaker's inference is in line with some backgrounds such as his own knowledge, experience, and known situation, and the speaker judges the state of 'will emerge ', 'have emerged', 'exist now ' and the possibility of the existence of event by reasonableness. Just because of the agreement semantic orientation, huìpossesses the usage of 'unexpected huì'and 'regular huì', which are the natural extension from 'expected huì. The semantic orientation of kěyǐis to permit. It owns two semantic features: [+ to correspond], [+ passive ]. The former makes it easier for kěyǐto introduce the speaker and express subjectivity, and the later makes keyǐexpress a kind of dynamic modality of 'no barrier '.The semantic orientation of ylnggai is sense, which makes, on the one hand,yīnggāi may reasonably value and judge what happened or existing fact while expressing the deontic modality, as is different from the common manifestation of the deontic modality, the other hand, the epistemic modality that ylnggai expresses not only lies in presuming the possibility of the existence of event or state but also stresses the inference of logic judgement and embodies reasoning relation between the speaker and his judgement. The semantic orientation of néng is to enable, which makes néng 1) emphasize the existence of enabling condition and the subjective desire and efforts of the subject while expressing the dynamic modality; 2)be inclined to presume the possibility of the emergence of the positive situation and not free to express the epistemic modality while expressing it.The viewpoint of semantic orientation embodies our point of view of meaning about the modal auxiliary verb that, on the one hand, we admit the phase process the development of modal semantic and think the modal auxiliary verb is polysemy , the other hand, we don't argue these different meanings are fully isolated from each other, and 'orientation ', as a meaning core, runs through the whole process of development of the modal auxiliary verb.To begin with the viewpoint of semantic orientation, in addition, this dissertation discusses the phenomenon of the co-occurrence of the same modalmeaning of the potential auxiliary verb and the grammiticalization of the potential auxiliary verb, pointing out that kěyǐcan't express the epistemic modality because of its semantic orientation.Among the meaning of the potential auxiliary verb, the meaning of promises of huìand the meaning of suggestion of kěyǐare very uncommon. The end of this section demonstrates the evolving process the two different meaning and point out that the meaning of promises of hut is from the epistemic modality, and the meaning of suggestion of kěyǐis from the deontic modality. These entailment meaning have much to do with the syntactic distributions and context which the auxiliary verb occupies, so it is unnecessary to set a sole category.Chapter 4 focuses on the modal coding of the potential verb-complement as well as related questions, including the semantic coding of the dynamic modality and the deontic modality of the potential verb-complement and the evolution of it's epistemic modality. This chapter argues that the pragmatic inference and the change of elements within a sentence can cause the coding of the epistemic modality of the potential verb-complement to be decoded. When the potential verb-complement are uncontrollable verb+bu liǎo and static adjective+bu liǎo, it codes the epistemic modality only, what's more, its degree of grammiticalization of its positive form is lower than its negative one because of its intrinsic semantic features, as is shown in two sides: 1) there doesn't exist the positive form of uncontrollable verb+de liǎo and static adjective+de liǎo to code the epistemic modality; 2) there doesn't exist the corresponding form of V+ dθ+ C to the form V+bu+C.Section 2 investigates the relation between the potential verb-complementand its basic form VC. From angles of dialect, the materials of Chinese-foreign translation and logic basis, this section proves, without the potential semantic, both V de C and V buC will act as the result complement just like VC. The potential semantic is not from de or bu but from the contexts, therefore, in the same contexts, VC has the same function as V de C. On the contrary, V buC may also act as the negative form of VC, and in some contexts, its potential semantic can disappear.Section 3 compares the potential verb-complement with néng. Firstly, this section reviews the related researches, then puts forward four reasons why they are different from each other: 1) néng I bu néng VC is later than V de/bu C ; 2) the semantic orientation of the potential verb-complement is result orientation, which is its foundational difference from néng, 3) the degree of grammiticalization of néng is higher than the potential verb-complement, which brings about the following two results: a) the scope of néng is bigger than the one of the potential verb-complement, consequently, V bu C is rejected by the bǎ-construction,bèi-construction, the first verb of the serial verb and descriptive adverbial, and only co-occur with bu néng; b) neng is more subjective than the potential verb-complement ,which is more objective. Therefore, neng is more suitable for expressing the speaker's viewpoints, and frequently is us.d in the sentences containing the speaker's subjective moods and viewpoints.4) On the basis of the standpoint 'the asymmetry in the pragmatic usage is the source of the asymmetry in grammatical structure '(Jiaxuan Shen 2004: 17), this reason, concerning with the effect of pragmatic patterns on the using of the potential verb-complement, on the basis of the avoiding-ambiguitystrategy and the politeness principle , points out that néng is apt to bring about ambiguity, and the potential verb-complement stresses irresistible objective reasons, and it is more respectful to the hearer when the speaker expresses the refusal speech act with it.Chapter 5 is a conclusion of the whole dissertation. Firstly, it generalizes the whole dissertation, and sorts out the sequence of ideas in it further. Secondly, it points out the inadequacy of the research, and puts forward some questions that needs to consider further.Key Words: potential category, potential modal auxiliary verb, potential verb-complement, modality, pragmatic inference, semantic orientation, grammatical ization...