A Cognitive Study Of Chinese Implicit Comparative Constructions

For human beings, comparison is not only an essential cognitive capability but also a basic way of cognition which can be embodied as different comparative constructions in language through conceptualized projection. In Chinese, the schema of the prototypical comparative construction is generalized as:"T+bi (比)+S+R". T acts as comparative target, and S comparative standard. Here bi, as a comparative marker in a broader sense, represents the abstract medium which links T and S with the semantic function of comparing one thing with another, thus it can also be replaced by other comparative markers, such as xiang (像), ru (如), si (似), yu (与), he (和), gen (跟). R refers to the result of comparison, and often comes at the end of a comparative construction. The "T+bi (比)+S+R" construction reflects and symbolizes the conceptualized structure of Chinese comparative constructions, fully exposing the whole cognitive process of comparison:"T bi (比) S= RM or "T:S= R", in which R serves as the result of the conceptual blend, and bi (比) represents the ubiquitous human cognitive capability of comparison. The cognitive process of comparison shows that on the one hand, in the course of knowing and transforming the world, once two or more things are compared with one another, people can analyze and recognize them; on the other hand, the cognitive process is a conceptual blending one, resulting in finding the identity, difference or similarity among things.Based on the relevant researches on Chinese comparative constructions and the basic viewpoints of cognitive linguistics, the present study divides Chinese comparative constructions into two kinds:the explict and the implcit, both of which are born out of comparison. The former usually represents the traditional form-meaning pairs which are core members with prototypical comparative markers (esp. comparative particles). And the latter generally includes the form-meaning pairs which are the peripheral members of Chinese comparative construction family. As far as the current research of Chinese comparative constructions is concerned, it often concentrates on the explicit prototypical comparative constructions like "T+bi (比)+S+R" because these core comparative constructions characterize the complete comparative cognitive process and they can be tackled easily from the syntactic and semantic perspective, which results in excluding the peripheral implicit comparative constructions that are difficult to deal with in semantics and syntax. However, construction grammar attaches great importance not only to core cases but also to peripheral members. Therefore, the present study focuses on exploring the peripheral implicit comparative constructions, such as Chinese shi (是) construction and you (有) construction, seeking after the answers to the following:What is the cognitive mechanism of the implicit comparative constructions in Chinese? What syntactic and semantic features do the implicit constructions indicate? Where does the emergent meaning of the implicit comparative constructions originate from? Through the exploration into the above-mentioned questions, the major findings of this study are outlined as follows:Firstly, comparison is a dynamic cognitive process consisting of closely knitted cognitive links, such as the determination of comparative standard, the juxtaposition of comparative target and comparative standard, the establishment of correspondence, the finding of vantage point, the path of scanning, within-domain or cross-domain mapping and the conceptual blending. Comparison is a necessary medium by which the world is universally connected because it can join two irrelevant things together. The perception of difference seemingly lies in human sensory organs, but actually it is the backstage comparison cognition that plays a decisive role only with the assistance of sensory organs. Similarly, the perception of the sameness/similarity is also determined by comparison. As a way of meta-cognition, comparison cognition provides prime power for analogical reasoning, categorization, metaphorical thought, iconicity and conceptual blend.etc.Secondly, the dynamic cognitive process of comparison is considered as a cognitive scene in which the dimensions of construal, such as specificity, focusing, prominence, perspective, determine which cognitive links to be profiled. Influenced by the dimensions of construal, the prominent cognitive links will be conceptually projected into different linguistic codes. Different prominence encodes different comparative constructions characteristic of different syntactic and semantic features. If the whole cognitive process gets prominent, the prototypical Chinese comparative constructions will be encoded. The other cases will bring about the implicit comparative constructions. If the direct juxtaposition of the comparative standard and comparative target is protruded, we will get the implicit comparative construction containing only the comparative standard and comparative target without any comparative marker or comparative result; if the vantage point is profiled, the vantage point often stands at the beginning of the implicit comparative construction; if the comparative target gets prominent, the comparative standard is frequently hidden; if the comparative standard becomes the cognitive focus, the other components will be implied; if the comparative marker is made the center of cognition, it will be emphasized; if correspondence is stressed, we will get contrast construction, antithesis construction and parallel construction, etc. All in all, in the comparative cognitive scene, the prominence of different comparative cognitive links determines different syntactic and semantic characteristics of Chinese implicit comparative constructions.Thirdly, the Chinese character bi (比) can match the English word compare to a maximum extent. Both analogize and contrast are born out of bi (比) or compare. If two things are to be compared, juxtaposing them is the prerequisite in comparison, which designates one plus the other in a simple way. In the process of juxtaposition, things similar or opposite to each other can be jointed together. Once the comparative standard gets set as a cognitive reference point, then two things are juxtaposed. In correspondence, scanning along the vantage point will work, and mapping will happen, finally leading to the conceptual blend. The results of conceptual blend through comparison are the findings such as the identity, sameness, equivalence, similarity, difference or oppositeness among things. And all the findings are the extra emergent meanings or constructional meanings of the implicit comparative constructions in Chinese. The extra meanings does not mean T plus S in a simple way, which, on the contrary, shows the whole is larger than the sums of its parts, that is, the meaning of an expression is the result of integrating the meanings of the lexical items into the meanings of construction.Fourthly, bi (比) is not a pure comparative marker only used to indicate the comparative degree. Actually it represents the abstract and generalized comparison cognition and can be encoded as different lexical items like ru (如). si (似)* xiang (像). yu (与)/he(和)/gen (跟)...yiyang (一样). guo (过), shi (是), you(有). etc. As for shi (是), it is generally used to indicate equivalence and attribution. But the perception of equivalence and attribution cannot be fulfilled without comparison. Thus the present study holds the view that shi (是) has the semantic function of comparison recognition, including the recognition of identity or difference. In the study of Chinese shi (是) construction, neglecting its comparison-recognition function means shi (是) cannot be fully interpreted. Like shi(是), you (有) also has the implicit comparative meaning, you (有) is often used to express the concept of existence. But studied from the comparative cognitive perspective, the original meaning of you (有) is of the implicit comparative quality. According to Heidegger’s view, only in difference can existence be felt. Without the perception of differences, existential concepts like Being and beings cannot be understood. However, it is only through comparison that differences among things can be sensed. Thus you (有) existential construction can also be considered as a kind of implicit comparative construction.