The Multiple Investigation Of Modality Adverb "Kongpa"

Modality adverbs are comparatively complex in modern Chinese, and many scholars are extremely giving much attentions to this complex language phenomenon. As for the current situation and achievement in the studies, many focuses are given on the whole modality adverbs system or on certain types of modality adverbs , and the study concerned with individual modality adverbs is relatively few. This thesis studies on the modality adverbs denoting "Kongpa"(恐怕). Using modern Chinese grammar theory on the bases of the Chinese phenomenon ,the writer share no efforts to investigate the multiple and characteristics of the modality adverbs "Kongpa"(恐怕)in syntax, semantics, pragmatics and also the process of grammaticalization on ancient Chinese level, in order to get more comprehensive and in-depth understanding.In syntax ,the writer finds found the element after "kongpa"(恐怕)are various in type, for example, predicates of the structure, the framework of "lian"(连), subject-predicate structure, complex sentence . At the same time it has a certain selection and requirements in the center of structure of the predicate phrase. The syntactic position of "Kongpa"(恐怕) in the sentence is comparatively nimble , moving more flexible from the middle to the head of the sentence . This whole of "Kongpa + A"(恐怕+ A) can be used as the predicate, object, attributive, and subject. In the syntax combination, "Kongpa"(恐怕)is generally located before modal verb and other kind of adverbs. In the syntax combination of "Kongpa+shi" (恐怕+是) , we think there are three cases of "shi"(是): judgment, maker of focus and elements in interword.In this paper, the writer construct its semantic background, and summarizes the semantic feature as well , which are conjecture, uncertainty, euphemism. Using the relevant theory of pragmatics, the writer discusses the functions of modality adverb "Kongpa"(恐怕), which mainly manifests in subjective modality, prominence, mood softening.Finally, the writer tries to describe the evolution process of "Kongpa"(恐怕) through the synchronic study. "Kongpa"(恐怕)appeared in the Tang Dynasty at first ,as a verb meaning "fear and worry". As a result of the change of the syntactic position, the semantics generalization, the change from syntactic- subject to speaker- subject, "Kongpa"(恐怕)had the usage of modality adverbs in the Ming Dynasty , and it has been used up to now, being the main usage.