Nominal Predication In Mandarin Chinese

The object of this study is nominal predication in Mandarin Chinese,e.g.,Wo zhongguoren("I am a Chinese."),Zhege haizi dayanjing("This child has big eyes.”).Mainstream syntactic theories tend to distinguish noun category and verb category by their distinct capabilities of predicative function.If so,how are predicative nominals licensed in nominal predicative construction?Why can nominals function predicatively?Furthermore,a satisfying solution must take into consideration the complex correspondence between word classes and syntactic functions in Mandarin Chinese.The methods used in this study mainly are qualitative analysis and deductive argumentation.From the perspective of Cognitive Grammar,this study is guided by 3 working hypotheses:(1)the organization of linguistic knowledge as well as its use is based on human's domain-general categorization;(2)constructions(or symbolic units)are primitives of linguistic knowledge(i.e.construction-based grammar);(3)linguistic knowledge is originated from language uses(i.e.usage-based grammar).Taking word class-construction dynamic categorizing network as analytical framework,this study proposes that predicative nominals are recategorized with their profile being shifted in order to satisfy categorizing demands by adjectival predicate and property predicate.Property predicate is a schema abstracted from adjectival predicate and locative predicate.Adjectival predicate profiles correspondence relation between trajector and a region anchored in degree scale(i.e.degree anchoring pattern).Locative predicate profiles immanence relation between trajector and a region anchored in spatial domain(i.e.space anchoring pattern).Degree domain and spatial domain calibrated by ground are instances of abstract locational domain."Anchoring" thus refers to different means to locate the position of a region profiled in locational domain.As a result,adjectival predicate and locative predicate are both locationally conceptualized,and thus property predicate profiles relation between trajector and a region anchored in locational domain(i.e.locational domain anchoring pattern).Nominal predicative construction is classified as feature attributive construction(or FAC)and role attributive construction(or RAC).As for FAC,its predicative NP profiles the controlled object(target)with its access by the controller(reference point)unprofiled.By profile shifting,predicative NP' profiles this access relation with the controller as trajector.Since the controlled object includes quantitative value,fictive instance or subtype anchored in measurement scale,instance plane or type plane(distinct from other entities of the same kind),its being accessed by the trajector hence attributes its feature to the subject.As for RAC,its predicative NP profiles a fictive role which needs filling in.By profile shifting,predicative NP' profiles filling-in(or instantiation)relation between this role and a corresponding member with the latter as trajector.Since the role is anchored in fictive plane as date,solar term,social status,rank,etc.(distinct from other entities of the same kind),its being filled in by the trajector hence attributes its feature to the subject.As a schema abstracted from FAC and RAC,predicative NP' of nominal predicative construction is construed as fictive plane/measurement scale anchoring pattern,profiling access/filling-in relation between trajector and an entity(i.e.quantitative value or fictive instance,subtype and role)anchored in fictive plane or measurement scale.Since fictive plane and measurement scale are both instances of locational domain,predicative NP' is locationally conceptualized,giving rise to its semantic distinction from "shi"(be)construction and "you"(have)construction.Furthermore,this conceptual feature is the basis on which adjectival predicate as well as property predicate is able to categorize predicative NP'.From the usage-based perspective,this study proposes that nominal predicative construction is a member of property predicative construction network,and is a schematic network by itself.Nominal predication in Mandarin Chinese calls widespread attention mainly because word classes are allegedly primitives and should be directly linked to syntactic functions,derived from word class-based grammar held by mainstream syntactic theories and traditional Chinese research.Consequently,nominal predication is theoretically problematic.However,from the perspective of construction-based grammar,nominal predicate is defined by nominal predicative construction and "NP le" construction.Nominal predication originates from its categorization by predicative roles in nominal predicative construction(FAC&RAC)and "NP le" construction,thus giving rise to construction-specific categories.Distinct from word class-based grammar,construction-based grammar is rooted in non-reductionist view,which highlights dominant impact of the whole on its parts.Guided by this hypothesis,each grammatical construction defines syntactic categories specific to this construction itself.Syntactic functions are abstracted from roles of the same kind in grammatical constructions with different complexities and specificities.Each role defines a specific category as long as it is instantiated by conceptual semantics of words.As a consequence,word classes such as noun,verb and adjective are sliced into countless subclasses with overlaps or differences,large or small.The subclasses defined as such are limitless,dynamic and open,suggesting inextricable links between words and their syntactic contexts.Once entrenched as knowledge networks of all sizes,speakers are able to predict how to use a word.However,these knowledge networks are not directly associated with word classes or with abstract syntactic functions.As a consequence,the relation between them in Mandarin Chinese is beyond direct correspondence.These findings have important theoretical and empirical implications.Theoretically,a recategorization-based model of nominal predication lends support to cognitive grammar view of sentence patterns in Mandarin Chinese and deepens theoretical research of Cognitive Linguistics.Empirically,this study demonstrates a different perspective on word classes and syntactic functions in Mandarin Chinese,and promotes Chinese word class research.