Modern Chinese "after All, Adverbs Study

The research object of the thesis is the group of mood adverbs of "bijing" category. Based on the analysis of language data, the thesis presents the partial corresponding relations between meaning and form among words in this group, and reveals the rules of their usage in modern Chinese. It falls into 5 chapters:Chapter 1 Introduction: This part introduces the purpose, significance theoretical basis, investigation methods and the sources of language data. A detailed literature review is also made, including the current research on mood and modality within and outside of China, and the general situation of studies on the "bijng" category.Chapter 2 Nature and Category: this part starts by defining the basic nature of the "bijng" mood adverbs. It points out that these words are high-level predicates syntactically and modal markers semantically, and they denote the subjective judgment and attitude of speakers towards propositions expressed. Then, by examining the semantic entries of each word and combined with morphological similarities and differences, it divides the words of this category into four groups, thus specifying their scopes and shows the intramural semantic distribution.Chapter 3 Sense and Distribution: this chapter approaches from the perspective of semantic function and semantic structure, it also specifies the mood senses of words this category. We deem that the adverbs of this category express the mood of confirmation, which functions on the whole proposition, excluding other modal elements. The basic usages of these words further testify that they have mood senses.Chapter 4 Expression and Function: Referring to the mark theory in pragmatics and theory of meta-pragmatic analysis, this chapter endeavors to discuss the expressive function of "bijing" category from the angle of speakers. As pragmatic markers, this category of words is the reflection of meta-pragmatic awareness of speakers, and it has the functions of making clear presuppositions, emphatic function and easing function.Chapter 5 the Semantic Analysis of Mood Adverb "Bijing": this chapter is a case study. This paper, based on the distinctions and relationships of basic sense and derivative sense of adverbs, expounds thoroughly different senses of "bijing" at the synchronic level, and by employing methods of semantic background analysis, gives a summary of the principal usages of "bijing" and its textual functions. The developmental relationships between different senses of "bijing" are further discussed from the diachronic perspective guided by the theory of grammaticalization.