Study On Medieval Chinese Particles

The focus of this study is on the particles in Medieval Chinese. The main purpose of this study is clarifying the characteristics of the medieval Chinese particles, revealing the system of the medieval Chinese particles, describing and analyzing the relative phenomena, and attempting to achieve a breakthrough in the research methods and theoretical explorations. Details are as follows:The section of Introduction briefed the research status of medieval Chinese particles, the objects and methods of this study, the tendency of research status of medieval Chinese particles, and the main issues we intended to resolve.Chapter One, we will discusse some basic issues, such as, the definition of Chinese word classes, and the definition of medieval Chinese particles.Chapter Two, we will focus on the structural particles of medieval Chinese. To connect the attributive and its head noun was the typical usage of zhi. Zhe and suo were used to form noun phrases, but these two words had different roles. As structural particles, zhi, zhe and suo still had a strong vitality in medieval Chinese. However, generally speaking, qi presented a tendency of disappearing, it used to gather the syllable in poetry mostly.Chapter Three, we will focus on the modal particles of medieval Chinese. Modal particles which locate in the front or the middle of sentences were disappearing in medieval times. Comparatively speaking, the speed of disappearance for the particles locate in the front of sentences is slower than in the middle of sentences. The particles locate in the end of sentences occupy a large proportion in modal particles, and in medieval Chinese particle system as well. Chapter Four, we will focus on the the particles which indicate number. Yu, you. and di inherited from ancient Chinese, and they also had a strong vitality in medieval Chinese. Xu, shu, and suo were new members of medieval Chinese. Shu had a certain vitality in the later periods, but xu and suo didn’t.Chapter Five, we will focus on the enumerative particles of medieval Chinese. There were only three enumerative particles, yun, yunyun, and deng, which inherited from ancient Chinese. While, in ancient Chinese, yun and yunyun were more commoner than deng. In the periods of later ancient Chinese or earlier medieval Chinese, deng developed rapidly, and its function had been spreaded to yun and yunyun. As the function of deng had been spreaded and used widely, yun and yunyun disappeared gradually.Chapter Six, we will focus on the dynamic particles of medieval Chinese. Dynamic particles have arisen in medieval Chinese, but generally speaking, have not mature.Chapter Seven, we will focus on the particle that indicates events. The particle that indicates events emerged in medieval Chinese, and it only had one member, lai. Lai had no colloquial foundation, however, it had a strong vitality. After the medieval ages. lai developed rapidly, and uses until now.Chapter Eight, we will focus on the particle that indicates attempt. Like the particle lai. the particle that indicates attempt also emerged in medieval Chinese, and had one member, kan. Kan had no colloquial foundation, however, it had a strong vitality. After the medieval ages, kan developed rapidly, and uses until now.The section of Conclusion. on the one hand, we discussed the system of medieval Chinese by analysed the historical hierarchy of them. On the other hand, we pointed some limitations of this study, and expecting to solve them in the future. In conclusion, the medieval particles were constituted by structural particles, modal particles, particles which represent number, enumerative particles, dynamic particles, particle that indicates events, and particle that indicates attempt. In the period of medieval Chinese, the system of Chinese particles have evolved greatly, although it have not developed maturely, the relative complement of Chinese particle system has been emerged already. After that time, it getting better, and ultimately formed the pattern of modern Chinese particle system gradually.