Polarity Sensitive Characteristics Of Time Adverbs "never"

In this paper, we will study the polarity sensitive features of" cong lai(从来)”in the modern Chinese. We will study the factors which affect the distribution of " cong lai(从来)”inthe context though focusing on the semantic trait, syntax distribution and the distribution of the form on negation and affirmation.According to the analysis on the language data in the modern Chinese, we find out that the polarity sensitive feature is invisible in the modern Chinese during13century-1919. But the negative polarity sensitive feature becomes dominant in the Chinese Language during1919-now. In this paper, we will study the negative polarity sensitivity feature of" cong lai(从来)" by using the theory:The Scalar Model of Polarity Sensitivity which is presented by Michael Israel in1997. Even more, we still focus on the theory which is combined with the Mathematical theory of Communication (By C.E. Shannon in1948).Polarity refers to the tendency of modal proposition to positive or negative contexts. Polarity sensitivity words are generally divided into positive polarity sensitive words (PPWs) and negative polarity sensitive words (NPWs). PPWs distribute in the affirmative sentence typically, and NPWs distribute in the negative sentence typically. The invisible polarity sensitivity of" cong lai(从来)" is developing into dominant.In this paper we points out that the modern Chinese temporal adverb "从来" has not yet to evolve as a typical NPW. The distribution and polarity sensitivity of" cong lai(从来)" are affected by both the semantics they encode and the aspects of events they describe. They are sensitive to negative polarity when they are in utterances about events of distal perfect aspect, while the are insensitive to polarity when they are in utterances about events of durative aspect.This is because their pragmatic role is to strengthen statements by triggering scalar implicatures and enriching self-information via the mappings between time and a priori cumulative probabilities of events. The polarity sensitivity of maximal temporal adverbs turns out to be the grammatical reflex of much more general rules of the probability-based the theory Scalar Model of Polarity Sensitivity. This paper has three theoretical meaning:Firstly, the paper studies the distribution of the modern Chinese temporal adverb "cong lai (从来)”in the different periods. Secondly, this paper offers an explanation for the polarity sensitivity of maximal temporal adverb with a probability-based model of scalar logic. Thirdly, this paper offers a complementary of the problem which cannot solve with the theory:the Scalar Model of Polarity Sensitivity by the Mathematical theory of Communication.This paper concludes six parts:(1) Introduction of the temporal adverb " cong lai(从来)" and the research overview;(2) The analysis of " cong lai(从来)" on the Modern Chinese during13century-1919;(3) The analysis of" cong lai(从来)’’on the Modern Chinese during1919-now;(4) Introduction of the polarity sensitivity temporal adverb " cong lai(从来)”and the explanation of" cong lai(从来)" polarity sensitivity with the theory:the Scalar Model of Polarity Sensitivity;(5) The complementary of the problem which cannot solve with the theory:the Scalar Model of Polarity Sensitivity by the Mathematical theory of Communication.(6) Full text summary...