Research On Syllable Coda Alternation:a Way Of Cantonese Word-coinage

Abstract This thesis studies40groups of Cantonese syllable coda alternation words. Through comparative analysis of their specific usage and performance, it proposed some new views about this phenomenon’s nature and the relationship of lexical meaning.There are four chapters in this dissertation. The first chapter is preface including literature review and the value of the research. This thesis attempts to explore the phenomenon from a perspective of syllable coda alternation word-coinage. Chapter two is the key part of the thesis and it is a word list of40groups of syllable coda alternation words. Chapter three is a theoretical study of the Cantonese syllable coda alternation words. This chapter firstly compared syllable coda alternation words with ancient Chinese Yang-Ru alternation cognates, pointed out that syllable coda alternation words were formed in the early stage of Cantonese, they are products of Cantonese colloquial lexical system. Secondly it discussed the relationships of these words’ lexical meaning. Most of the verbs have shown a tendency that the verbs with nasal ending can represent greater force, while the verbs with stop ending can represent smaller force. This phenomenon is not accidental; it is based on native speakers’ some kind of cognitive psychology to take a sound-change word-coinage. The fourth chapter briefly reviewed the research of this thesis, and pointed out existing inadequacies.