A Study Of Space Domain, Time Domain, Metaphor And Metonymy Domain In Mandarin Chinese

This dissertation, A Study of Space Domain, Time Domain, Metaphor and Metonymy Domain in Mandarin Chinese, the study based on the theory of cognitive grammar and experience philosophy, take the cases of expression on SHANG(上),which is the vertical orientation word; PANG(旁), which is the horizontal orientation word; DA(大),which is the spatial predicated word; LAI(来),which is the spatial movement verb. In our study, we analyze the stucture and the pragmatic of the expression of these words in space domain, time domain, metaphor and metonymy domain, from which, we can realize the importance of space domain in human’s cognition. Language reflects the mapping from spatial cognition to time domain and other domains by metaphor and metonymy.In the prospective of cognitive linguistics, the expressions in spatial domain, time domain and other metaphor/metonymy domains of words are illustrated. It is argued that multi-domain expressions are mainly resulted from the effect of metaphor/metonymy mechanism, which bring about a mapping process from spatial domain to temporal and other domains. And furthermore, we argue that Chinese syntax is affected by expressional properties of spatial domain, i.e. expressional properties of spatial domain are projected onto syntax structure (the latter is affected and restricted by the former hence), and related pragmatic significance are created in language using accordingly. Based on Chinese cognitive properties and errors made by foreign learners, teaching strategies and process are suggested. We can take the course from the spatial domain, which is the universal cognition for human beings, into the abstract temporal domain and metaphor/metonymy domains in Teaching Chinese as a foreign languageThe thesis consists of seven chapters.Chapter1is Introduction, addressing reasons and objects of the thesis. Since space (spatial domain) is the basic room to live and percept for people, cognition on space is realized in the three following aspects:1) indications for directions and locations in space;2) descriptions on space properties;3) activities in space. As a result, four words, i.e. PANG(旁),which is a location word indicating horizontal position; SHANG(上),which is a location word indicating vertical position; DA(大),which is a measure adjective describing the spatial properties, and LAI (来),which is a movement verb indicating displacement, are chosen as studying cases. We also introduced the sources corpus, and proposed the framework of the thesis.Chapter2addresses the theoretical basis of the thesis. The cognition of spatial domain, temporal domain and other metaphor/metonymy domains and human beings’ cognitive patterns of space are introduced. By spatial domain, people cognize temporal and other domains in Chinese. With metaphor and metonymy mechanisms, expressions of spatial domain project onto temporal and other domains.Chapter3concentrate the analysis on SHANG(上).The image schema of SHANG(上)was classified in the view of spatial image prototype. It is stated that asymmetry between SHANG(上)and XIA (下)are caused by the asymmetry of attaching prototype. The usage of DISHANG(地上)and DIXIA(地下)in ancient Chinese and Chinese dialects are examined and assorted carefully. It concludes that the synonyms (DISHANG(地上)&DIXIA(地下))are resulted from the differences of image prototype in spatial domain chosen for word formation between southern and northern Chinese dialects."V+SHANG(上)”and "V+QILAI(起来)”,both constructions indicating inchoative aspect, are compared in the view of image prototype, showing that the differences come from [+attachment] of SHANG(上),which projects onto temporal domain. Finally,"V+SHANG(上)”are taken as an example to show the teaching strategies from spatial domain to temporal domain for syntax constructions.Chapter4describes spatial image schema of PANG(旁),which is a multi-orientational location word in horizontal dimension, addresses the location category via corpus statistics, and explains the concept extending of words comprised with PANG via the projecting from space domain to the other domains. Based on a survey on a number of Chinese textbooks, it shows that no enough emphasis is placed on PANG(旁),which caused ignorance or misusage about the multi-orientational location word. And the metaphor of multi-orientational location word is more difficult to grasp. Our response to this phenomenon is a proposal about semantic teaching method from spatial domain to metaphor/metonymy domains, which can enhance students’grasp on multi-orientational location word and it’s meanings in metaphor/metonymy domains.Chapter5describes the usages of DA(大)in temporal domain and other domains. Meanings of DA(大)in temporal and metaphor/metonym domains are resulted from the projection from spatial domain (the space is over occupied than the normal). A new meaning (OVERLOADING) comes into being in language use and negative emotion arises consequently in pragmatics."DA(大)+time nouns+DE(的)”constructions are analyzed as following:combination "DA (大)”and "time noun" originated from the mapping between spatial and temporal/metaphor/metonym domains, and the meaning of OVERLOADING arises in context, which creates the negative moods. Teaching strategies and designs of "DA(大)+time nouns+DE (的)" constructions are suggested on the base of learners’ errors.Chapter6studies the expression of word "Lai", which is the spatial movement word. We suggest that the concept and the characteristic of "Lai" in spatial domain is the cognitive understructure of time domain, metaphor and metonymy domain. In this chapter, we compare two structures in time domain, which is "V+QI(起)+O" and "V+QI(起)+O+LAI(来)"."V+QI (起)+O" and "V+QI(起)+O+LAI(来)’’structure have the same semantic meaning in mandarin Chinese, but the syntactic structure are different."LAI(来)”indicate a process in space and it take a reference as an end point. The reason of this language phenomenon is the characteristic of "LAI(来)’’in spatial domain mapping to time domain by the cognitive mechanism of metaphor. We use this conclusion of the two structures in second language teaching of Chinese.Chapter7summarizes the reflection of language in mandarin Chinese on the mapping from spatial domain to time domain, metaphor and metonymy. We use the conclusions in second language teaching of Chinese. At the end of this chapter, we point out the innovation and the limitation of this thesis.