On The Structure Of "Numeral +Adjective +Measure Word" Structure

Abstract: There are only a few papers about"Numeral + Adjective + Measure word"structure before. In these researches, we found that 1) there are many divergences in the nature of the structure, 2) there isn't a unified standard about the scope of measure word, 3) there isn't a comprehensive research of numeral, 4) and the adjectives they researched are only the small part. Our study aims to, on the basement of other's achievements in scientific research, choose the structure and function of"numeral + adjective + measure word"structure as the object of study, probe into the structure from the numeral, measure word, adjective, related noun and the factors they effected by each other, and try to offer some objective basis for the study of grammar system of Chinese, and offer some reference for measure word teaching of Chinese, especially for measure word teaching Chinese as a foreign language through the study on this structure.By the research of the measure word in the structure, we found that these measure words adequately embody two semantic features: [+quantity assessment] [+shape]. And the great ability of the adjective followed immediately by a measure word is restricted by this semantic feature [+quantity assessment], while [+shape] semantic feature shows different shape characters, which decide to select related adjective of the same shape. The crux of the measure word classification is the result of people researching measure word with different method and from different angle. In this paper, we used a new method of the measure word classification from shape character and the source of shape character to classify the measure words. Different measure words have different shape character and source of different character, so their abilities of following immediately after adjectives are different. In the measure words of regular shape, the measure words which have the shape of their own have the most powerful ability of following immediately after adjectives, especially the measure words of long shape.By the research of the numerals in the structure, we found that other numerals such as one or two, two or three can also be used in the structure. We first differed the abstract meaning from the real meaning of the numeral "One", and then we found out the four kinds of meaning of the abstract "One". The number of numeral and its syllable both play important roles in the selection of adjective in the structure. Those numerals of big number always choose "big" to form the structure "numeral + big +measure word".By the research of the Adjectives in the structure, we found that the adjective such as"huge""slender""square""shallow""narrow"can also used in the structure. We reviewed the research of adjective used consecutively, and expanded the number and the scope of adjective used consecutively. And the form of adjective used consecutively can also be "da zheng" "da fang" "da qian" "xiao zhai" "xiao xi" "xiao fang" "xiao chang" "xiao man" "xiao ping" "xi chang" "xiao chang fang". And then we found out the cognitive explanation of the order and the rules of adjective used consecutively.By the research of the nouns in the structure, we found that most nouns used in the structure are concrete noun, only a few of them are abstract noun. All the nouns in the structure embody two characters: their objective quantities changeable and their subjective quantity are restricted by different speaker. Some measure words can both choose concrete nouns and abstract nouns, but there are some differences in the selection of adjective. Generally speaking, when the measure word chooses abstract nouns, it is apt to select adjective "big" to form the structure. Finally, we discussed studied different forms of the"numeral + adjective + measure word"structure, including the basic forms and the extended forms.