Symmetry And Asymmetry: A Comparative Study Of Shanglai/Shangqu,Xialai/Xiaqu

This paper mainly explores the Synmetry and Asynmetry of the grammacticalization of different stages of tendency complements "shanglai", "shangqu", "xialai", "xiaqu". Besides introduction and conclusion, this paper is mainly consisted of three parts.In Introduction, the status quo, significance, methodologies of tendency complements studies are briefly introduced, and the corpora of this research is detailed. Then, based on the findings and results of previous scholars and researchers, this paper categoriezes the senses of above four complements into two categories and five sub-categories, along with the process of their grammacticalization. The two categories refer to spatial senses and non-spatial senses, and spatial senses categories could be furthere divided into concrete and abstract spatial senses categories; and non-spatial senses category can be sub-divided into result, state and time senses categories, which lay the basis for the discussion ensued.Chapter 2 is for the discussion of Synmetry and Asynmetry between shanglai" and "shangqu" in their corresponding grammaticalization process. "shanglai" and "shangqu" are on the way of being grammaticalized, and they not only can indicate concrete spatial senses, but abstract and non-spatial senses, namely the result senses, as well. This paper believes that the Synmetry and Asynmetry between the two in different process of grammaticalization lie in the differences in their core meanings. Because of their differences in references and foci, the senses and usages of the new words derived from grammaticalization begin to differ with each other.By the same token, Chapter 3 discusses the Synmetry and Asynmetry between "xialai", and "xiaqu". Both "xialai" and "xiaqu" derive abstract spatial, result, state and time senses from concrete spatial senses, and their degree of grammaticalization are relatively high; however, they do differ with each other a bit, the degree of grammaticalization of "xiaqu" is higher than that of "xialai". Based on the statistics of this paper, the frequencies of state and time senses of "xiaqu" is more or less the same, which can be accounted on the fact that "xiaqu" can indicate an end, thus can indicate a continum; while "xialai" is just the opposite, as a result, "xiaqu" mainly indicates the senses of continuing, and "xialai" continuing and completing.Chapter 4 is for the discussion of Synmetry and Asynmetry between two sets of synonyms, namely "shangqu", "shanglai" and "xiaqu" and "xialai". The grammacticalizaitons of "xialai" and "xiaqu" are completed, and they can indicate both spatial and temporal relationships; while that of "shangqu" and "shanglai" is just half of the way. And this paper holds that it is mainly due to the influences of human cognitve features and the evolvement of language itself.Conclusion makes a summary of the whole paper, generalizing the main views of this paper and suggestions for the future researches of the same type.â…¢...