The Analysis On The Polysemous Verb "弄"

Polysemous verbs are a special class of general sense verbs that can replace many specific verbs in syntax, of which "Nong"("弄")is one that is used quite often.Firstly, this paper analyses the evolution of "nong"(("弄")from the original meaning "to play with one's hands" into a polysemous verb that is used widely in Chinese today. This contemporary usage is subsequently described from a syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic perspective. Additionally, this paper examines both the flexibility and restrictions of using "nong"("弄")to replace other verbs, as its usage may often switch the focus and alter the tone of the sentence.Secondly, based on the aim of teaching Chinese as a foreign language, this paper comparatively analyzes the differences between "Nong"("弄"),"Gao"("搞"),"Gan"("干")and "Zuo"("做"),which all share a common definition "to do something". The paper's conclusion presents the approximate scope of usage of each aforementioned polysemous verb.The influences of people's cognitive processes on language pattern, as well as the regulation and development of the language system itself, will determine whether certain words can be replaced by polysemous verbs. Such effects also dictate that polysemous verbs cannot be randomly interchanged. Mutual competition amongst elements that drive the development of language demarcates unique syntactic "territories" that rival polysemous verbs may occupy. We ascribe these elements of change to the following three aspects:the compliance to the Accuracy Principle, the competion between the Brief Principle and Variety Princle, and finally the competition between the Innovation Principle and Fogyism Principle.