" Down " Related Asymmetry Research

This thesis discusses the asymmetrical problem concerned with "下去"There are seven parts in the thesis besides the introduction. Taking "下去" as a breach and using mainly the Markedness Theory to congruously describe and explain the symmetrical and asymmetrical phenomena of "下去" and " 下来", " 下去"and "上去" through comparing and analyzing them, the thesis tries to discover the inner relationships and the root of the asymmetrical phenomena of them.Part one discusses several theoretical problems related with asymmetry. The aim of this part is to illustrate the theoretical frame and the researching method and to emphatically expound the author's definition of asymmetrical phenomena and the specific operation sequence of judging the marked items. It points out that asymmetry in this thesis does not mean absolute asymmetry which implies the two items are absolutely different, but the tendency or probability in usage. By markedness, the author means the contrast of strong markedness and weak markedness.From part two to five, the contents are all related to symmetry and asymmetry. Part two discusses asymmetrical phenomena of "下来/下去" in direction meanings, and explains the asymmetry in collocation with verbs and every displacing main body by using the theory of markedness reversal. Part three depicts asymmetrical distribution of "下来/下去" in extension meanings. In this part, the author points out contrasts of having or not in extension meanings because cf "下来 " ' s weak markedness relating to "下去".Part four and five depicts and explains asymmetrical distribution of "下来/下去" from point of syntactic position. The thesis mainly discusses asymmetry problem of positions and sequences when Complex Complements of Direction "下来/下去" appears with objective. Part four discusses "下来/下去" appears with location abjective. By analyzing them, it points that asymmetrical phenomena on positions and sequences for the verbs' strong motion, location objective's weak location and optimality language sequences. There is only one sequence "V+下+N处+来/去" , and vacancy on other sequences. Part five mainly explains the strong markedness of "下"'s dispersing form when appearing with objective by researching the historian source andevolution.Part six discusses "下去"and "上去". Researching them is mainly from semantic level. The author considers "下去" and "上去" is asymmetrical distributing on meaning and range of objectives for "下"'s semantic double orientation and " 上 "'s relatively semantic single orientation. "上去" is a strong markedness relating to "下去", because it is constrained by "上"'s semantic single orientation and "去"'s strong movement.Part seven is sum-up from part two to six. And we constitute relative markedness mode: 下来>下去>上去。"下去" is strong markedness relating to "下来", and is weak markedness relating to "上去".Then, we infer by Theory of Markedness: 1. the markedness constraints of "来/去" is stronger than "上/下";2. the asymmetry on syntactic structure is constrained by "来/去". 3. "下来", "下去"and "上去" has selectional restrictions with other words.