Research On The Combination Of Abstract Nominal Components And Monosyllabic Location Words In Modern Chinese

In Chinese,it is one of the most important means to express spatial relationships that location words are placed after nouns constituting the structure of“noun+location word”.This structure shows not only the concrete spatial relationship and spatial significance,but also abstract ones.The previous studies pay more attention to the concrete spatial significance expressed by combinations of concrete nouns and location words.By sharp contrast,the abstract significance of them is ignored and in want of an in-depth study.The combination of abstract nominal elements and location words is the most direct reflection of the abstract significance of locative structures.Therefore,this paper makes an observation,description and explanation of the combination of abstract nominal elements and monosyllabic location words in modern Chinese and its related problems.This paper falls into ten chapters apart from the introduction and the conclusion.The introduction mainly presents the object,significance,theoretical background,research methods and style,and the main contents of this study.Besides,the corpus sources are explained in this part.Chapter One,on the basis of reviewing the history of the study on abstract nouns,location words,abstract nouns and the combination of abstract nominal elements and monosyllabic location words in modern Chinese,summarizes the existing research results and analyzes the deficiencies of them so as to determine the research goals and directions.Chapter Two makes an interpretation of the cognitive metaphor theory by introducing its origins,basic opinions,and types.It is noted that the structure of“NP/N_abstract+F”is ontological metaphor structure in Chinese which through metaphors helps to make the abstract things and concepts concrete.As a result,people can understand the abstractions in the way that they do the concrete.Chapter Three makes a synthetical study of the combination of abstract nominal elements and monosyllabic location words.First,the criteria are decided to judge the abstract nouns both in form and sense,and the prototype effects of abstract noun category are discussed.Then,it is pointed out that the structure of“NP/N_abstract+F”has two types of open class and closed class,and two properties of being phrase and word.Chapter Four analyzes and investigates the formation,type,semantic characteristics,semantic features and functional extensions of“NP/N_abstract+shang(?)”structure.It is noted that“NP/N_abstract+shang(?)”,as an ontological metaphor regarding abstract things and concepts as a plane of a whole,presents the striking feature in semantic system that its properties such as hierarchy,relativity,versatility and variability are intertwined,and it develops into the structure of“VP/V+shang(?)”with referential function.Chapter Five makes a case study of“NP/N_abstract+shang(?)”structure,that is,“li lun shang(???)”.After exploration of the nature and sense of it,the writer points out that“li lun shang(???)”has become a modality marker with 4pragmatic functions of providing possibility,strengthening mildness,weakening certainty and showing information focus.Chapter Six makes a study of“NP/N_abstract+xia(?)”structure.The constructing characteristics of“NP/N_abstract+xia(?)”are first analyzed.And then semantic properties are discussed on the basis of the investigation of abstract nominal elements combined with xia(?).It is pointed out that“NP/N_abstract+xia(?)”is a metaphorical structure based on“condition”.Finally,the homogeneity of“NP/N_abstract+xia(?)”and“zai(?)NP/N de(?)VP/V xia(?)”is discussed both syntactically and semantically,on the basis of which the relationship of function expansion of both structures is identified.Chapter Seven explores the asymmetries of“NP/N_abstract+shang(?)”and“NP/N_abstract+xia(?)”from syntactic,semantic and pragmatic perspectives,and analyzes the reasons from different aspects such as human beings'physiological function,the semantic meanings of prototype space,the ways of cognitive construal,and the markedness and unmarkedness.Chapter Eight focuses on the analysis of the structure of“NP/N_abstract+li(?)”.Its formation is investigated and the semantic features are analyzed emphatically.It is pointed out that“NP/N_abstract+li(?)”is a metaphor structure of a container of discrete content.And then,the characteristics of container metaphor and the reasons for the widespread use of it are discussed.Chapter Nine makes a contrastive analysis between“NP/N_abstract+li(?)”and“NP/N_abstract+nei(?)”,showing their differences in the selection preference of abstract nouns,mapping domain,function extension and applicability of language style.Although both structures are container metaphor structures,they have different semantic meanings,which can be reflected in both container and content.The synchronic differences of“NP/N_abstract+li(?)”and“NP/N_abstract+nei(?)”are related to diachronic evolution.Chapter Ten discusses the source and development of structure“NP/N_abstract+F”structure,noting that it is derived from“NP/N_concrete+F”structure,and extended with two other structures of“VP/V+F”and“AP/A+F”.It is also stated that with development of language,some cases of“N_abstract+F”structure have lexicalized from being phrases to words.The closing part sums up the main conclusion,achievements and deficiencies of this study.