Study On Bi-syllabic Words Of Conversion From Nouns To Adjectives In The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Fifth Edition)

It is well known that The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary is the most authoritative and canonical dictionary of contemporary Chinese.The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary(Fifth Edition) published in 2005 indicates parts of speech for single-character and multi-character categories based on distinguishing word and non-word.What is worth noticing is the method the dictionary deals with the conversion words,respectively listing interpretations for different parts of speech in the same vocabulary entry.To be concrete,the method dealt with the conversion words from nouns to adjectives is listing substantival interpretations before adjectival ones in the same vocabulary entry.Based on 217 bi-syllabic vocabulary entries of the conversion from nouns to adjectives in this dictionary,this paper will study on the causes of formation of the conversion from nouns to adjectives and the interpreting methods of adjectives converted from nouns.We hope this study can supply a reference to compilation of dictionary for conversion words from nouns to adjectives.The first chapter consists of three parts.The first section will introduce the relationship between the conversion of parts of speech and temporary usage and the relationship between the conversion from nouns to adjectives and "adverb+noun".On the one hand,as the words to be studied are already approved and embodied in The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary(Fifth Edition),they are no longer temporary usages but conversion words.On the other hand,although they are closely related,the conversion from nouns to adjectives differs from the "adverb+noun".Because the former is the conversion of parts of speech while the latter is temporary usages.The second section will review the investigative actuality of the conversion from nouns to adjectives in contemporary Chinese from some aspects as the causes of formation, manners,approaches,types,origins,expressive functions and the interpreting methods of adjectives.The third section will introduce the standards and general situation of embodying vocabulary entries.The standards consist of four parts.①Bi-syllable.②The vocabulary entry contains at least one substantival interpretation and one adjectival interpretation.③The substantival interpretation must be the first one,and there aren't any interpretations of other parts of speech between substantival interpretations and adjectival interpretations.④There is at least one adjectival interpretation converted from certain substantival interpretation.Based on those standards,from the 217 bi-syllabic vocabulary entries of the conversion from nouns to adjectives in this dictionary,218 pairs of "substantival interpretation→adjectival interpretation" are finally selected to be studied.The second chapter will focus on discussing the causes of formation of the conversion from nouns to adjectives.First,because "part of speech is a sort of prototypical category",it contains typical members and untypical members and its boundary is blurry.So untypical members of substantival category on the boundary between substantival category and adjectival category are similar to typical members of adjectival category.That lays the cognitive foundation for the conversion from nouns to adjectives.Second,the theories of acceptation indicate that nouns contain property meanings.And we also discover that nouns embodied in this paper contain obvious or secluded property meanings.That offers the semantic premise for the conversion from nouns to adjectives.Third,grammatical metonymy is the invert mechanism of the conversion from nouns to adjectives.This metonymy is one from materiality to abstract, and from part to whole.To realize metonymy,the relationship needs to be established between part and whole.The closer the relationship is,the greater the probability achieves.Fourth,the conversion from nouns to adjectives has many kinds of expressive functions.It not only fills up vacancy of adjectives,accords with economic principle of language,but also brings visual,novel,humorous,finger-popping and colloquial rhetorical effects.Therefore the conversion from nouns to adjectives is reasonable,and it is approved and developed by people.The third chapter will summarize the interpreting methods of adjectives converted from nouns based on the interpretations of the 218 adjectives.The interpreting methods contain "inheriting the substantival interpretation" and "interpreting renewedly".While intrinsic property meaning is chosen,the adjectival interpretation can be distilled from the substantival interpretation.This interpreting method is called "inheriting the substantival interpretation".While additional property meaning is chosen,we can but give expression to the cognition formed in our mind in exact language by felicitous interpreting method. This interpreting method is called "interpreting renewedly".The first interpreting method contains "distilling the intrinsic property meaning" and "replenishing verb".The second interpreting method contains "synonym/'not+antonym'","defining" and "illuminating and describing".The last section of this chapter will point out several ill-considered interpretations of adjectives.First,there isn't the transitional interpretation between substantival interpretations and adjectival interpretations.Second,the sequence of interpreting language is illogical.Third,the interpreting method isn't felicitous.Fourth, the interpretation is not all-sided.