A Semantic Cognitive Study On The Understanding Of Oxymoron

Oxymoron is a common figure of speech in Chinese language, while it is not a focus in domestic academic circles and the study about it is only in rhetoric and semantics. The paper explores a new approach to define it and on the basis of semanteme analysis, we try to give a new explanation to the generation and dispelling of this figure of speech with the three ways of co-emergence from Liu Dawei and the blending theory.The paper includes six chapters.The first chapter is the Introduction, including the summary of former research, theories and value of the research. The previous study for oxymoron usually defined it in the perspective of rhetoric or language surface features, so it is difficult to tell the difference from other similar figures. In semantics, it focused on semanteme analysis. Therefore, this paper wants to solve the main problem of the definition and classification, and then to explore the study and explanation about the generation and dispelling of this figure of speech in a dynamic way.Chapter two is talking about the definition of oxymoron. With the concept of proposition, we discuss the types of proposition meanings and the ways of generation: the main proposition comes from the main predication structure of the sentences; the subordinate proposition and the demoting proposition come from the subordinate and the demoting predication structure of the sentences, so we make a conclusion as that: oxymoron is not a simple confliction of two words but a self-confliction of propositions. According to that, we define oxymoron as a linguistic phenomenon of two conflict propositions which include the conflict predicates.Chapter three, on the basis of the definition in the second chapter, we classify oxymoron into six types according to the types of proposition meanings and the ways of generation, and make a description about the grammar structure as well: if the two conflict propositions are both generated from the main predication structures, the linguistic form is usually a sentence of two or more clauses; if the two conflict propositions are both generated from the subordinate predication structures, the linguistic form is usually subject-verb structure; if the two conflict propositions are both generated from the demoting predication structure, or one of it is demoting proposition, the linguistic form usually includes one or two NPs.We need to point out that: if only one of the two propositions is subordinate predication structure, this kind of type is not tenable in theory. Chapter four, for the sake of exploring a new explanation to the dispelling of this figure of speech, we discuss the three ways of co-emergence in semantics first. Different ways of co-emergence, different approaches for the dispelling courses: if the two propositions are co-emergence in supplement way, so the meanings of the two conflict predicates can be co-existence. If one proposition is co-emergence in supplement way, while the other one is co-emergence in obligatory way, so the semantic structure of one predicate should be changed. The semanteme of the predicate should be replaced. If the two propositions are co-emergence in obligatory way, so the semantic structure of the major element should be replaced and the meanings of the predicates can be co-existence.On the basis of the above, we also discuss the impact of dispelling of oxymoron caused by the grammar structure.In chapter five, on the basis of we discuss the mental foundation of oxymoron with the four blending nets. We point out that oxymoron is to make emerging structure by the blending and projecting of the two mental spaces.Chapter six is the conclusion which summarizes main viewpoints and deficiency of the whole paper.In a conclusion, this paper adopts a new perspective and methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis. But, on account of the theories we use, there is a lack of deep understand and analysis, which make the paper not persuasive enough. So it needs to be perfected in the future study.