| This paper belongs to the range of Lexical semantics. We conduct a new view and a creative research on the Chinese polyseme from the angle of modern semantics, esp. from the angle of semantic bridge guided by modern semantic theories. In this paper, mostly with a combination of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, we analyze and interpret omni-directionally the semantic bridge of Chinese polyseme in a close domain, expand the range and space of Chinese polyseme by combining the latest linguistic achievements, and try to analyze the important feature of Chinese polyseme objectively and deeply. The paper analyzes and sums up 7 major types and 42 minor types of Chinese semantic bridge. And this study is of great significance both theoretically and practically in the research of word meaning evolution and lexicography.This paper consists of 4 chapters. Chapter one systematically summaries and introduces the current situation of semantic bridge research in and abroad, and states its theoretical and practical value and research materials and methods. Chapter two, based on the review on the studies on Chinese polyseme in the areas of traditional exegesis, lexicology and semantics, views polyseme from omni-direction and multi-perspectives in term of modern semantics: (1) Amount of polyseme; (2) Cognitive linguistics perspective: a polyseme is a major semantic field, a semantic network in which dinchronology develops into synchronology. This structure is a holistic semantic continuum or polymer with a core sememe (original meaning or basic meaning) as the centre, and one or several sememes. (3) the structure: topological structure (radical structure, concatenation structure and radical-concatenation structure); range theory; 6 gradients of polyseme. Chapter three we study semantic bridge of Chinese polyseme from omni-direction and multi-perspectives in term of modern semantics. At first we view the concept of"semantic bridge"from the angle of ostensive definition and attribute definition. Semantic bridge, which can also be called the point of morpheme generality, or semantic junction, constitutes the latent transitional meaning between the original meaning and the derived meaning, or between the derived and the rederived of the polyseme, i.e. the general seme, which means the semantic chain between the semes directly related. Then, we deeply and carefully analyze 522 polysemes and 1290 semantic bridges in the close domain, and sum up 7 major types: hypernym-hyponym bridge, holonym-meronymy bridge, thing meaning-human meaning bridge, thing meaning-thing meaning bridge, verb meaning-verb meaning bridge, adjective meaning-adjective meaning bridge, and word-class transfer bridge, which consist of 42 minor types. And the proportion each minor type is calculated. Finally, based on"the Three Worlds Theory", we deeply analyze the theoretical foundation of semantic bridge in terms of the subjective world: the semantic bridge, which is a common feature in a certain perspective or a certain relationship in between the original meaning and the derived meaning, or the derived and the rederived, builds its new meaning from the old one through a cognition model of metaphor (similar association) and metonymy (linked association). The semes in the semantic field interconnect mutually through semantic bridge, which structures a interweaving and connotative semantic network. And chapter four is the conclusion of the study. It also forcasts the follow-up work and points out some problems in this study. |
