The Nonreferential Study On Chinese Nominal Composition

In modern Chinese, nominal composition acting as referential is its typical language performance, but acting as non-referential is its non-typical language performance. Although non-typical model, it is also a kind of familiar language phenomenon. Based on the existing research, this thesis further investigates the nominal composition acting as non-referential phenomenon. In addition to Chapter 1------Non-referential Phenomenon Research Overview, the article discusses thenon-referential issue through five parts. Its main contents are as follows:1. Setting out from these three concepts "existence------existing way, nominalphrases------predication, referring function------predicating function", this thesisanalyzes the normal language phenomenon in which the language form, the result of cognition and the usage of language corresponding to each other and it also analyzes the abnormal language phenomenon in which the three of them discorresponding to each other. We get a conclusion: the non-referential of nominal composition is actually the aberrance of reference—predicate usage. Therefore, we define the concept of referential and non-referential, and divide the non-referential into two types: irreference and empty-reference.2. From the aspect of semantic analyzing, the thesis discusses nominal composition's intension meaning and extension object, intension feature and extension feature, and points out that there is a close relationship between nominal composition's semantic behavior and its non-referring function.3. Discusses the language performance of irreference. If a nominal composition expresses the existing way, it is called irreference. Irreference only gives prominence to its semantic features, it always acts as attribute, predicate, adverbial adjunct and complement. Nominal composition can get its irreferring function through stressing its semantic features: some words emphasize its intension features, some words emphasize its extension features (including cultural, polymeric and superior extension features ) and others emphasize both features. When semantic features are manifested, nominal composition will no longer refer to an entity and it naturally gets a quite strong predicate nature. It appears at some specific syntactic position and gets the predicating function.4. Discusses the language performance of empty-reference. If a nominal composition expresses its intension meaning, and together with other words carries out the predicating function, it is called empty-reference. Empty-reference is mainly distributed over predicative position, the object position of a compound verb-object combination, head places of Para-modification and the object position after the speech word. Appellative nouns can also act as the empty-reference sitting in the subject position.5. To summarize the language performance of non-referential. To classify the nominal compositions into six main categories and discuss whether each of them can act as referential, irreference or empty-reference. To arrange the advantage syntactic position in which non-referetial can appear. Irreference can appear at: predicate > attribute > adverbial adjunct and complement. Empty-reference can appear at: predicative > head places of Para-modification > object > subject.