Cognitive Study On Semantic Formation And Collocation Of Classifiers In Chinese And English

Modern Chinese possesses abundant classifiers which are as an independent word class with flexible usage. In contrast, there is not such independent word class of classifiers in traditional English grammar; however, structures that serve the functions of classifiers are common in English language and form a huge system. Different as forms and the usage of classifiers in Chinese and English are, an overwhelming majority is developed from nouns and reflect people’s understanding towards categories represented by the nouns. This thesis is concerned to discuss through what cognitive mechanisms that the classifiers develop from original nominal meanings and then collocate with nouns. It is believed that the study in this thesis can further the development of the researches on classifiers and the contrastive studies between Chinese and English.This thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter one presents the research problems and organizational structure of the thesis. In chapter two, studies on classifiers at home and abroad are introduced at first, and then a theoretical background is provided. Chapter three focuses on the exploration of cognitive mechanisms involving the semantic formation of classifiers in Chinese and English. In chapter four, cognitive mechanisms concerning with the phenomena of one classifier collocating with multiple objects and one object collocating with multiple classifiers are exhibited. Chapter five makes a profound analysis of the differences between Chinese and English classifiers as well as cognitive reasons.Through the above discussion and analysis, the following conclusions are conducted:firstly, semantic formation of classifiers in Chinese and English is not completely arbitrary but shows people’s cognition, such as metaphor, metonymy, bounded and unbounded. The usage of classifiers represents people’s cognition of the nouns, and collocating relations between classifiers and nouns reflect people’s understanding of categories represented by nouns. Secondly, although there are some common cognitive mechanisms concerning with the semantic formation and collocation of classifiers in Chinese and English, differences in the usage and forms are obvious due to different thinking patterns, cultures, and geographical environment, etc.