A Diachronic Approach To Syntax-semantics Interaction In “this/that+adj” Construction

With BNC, COHA and the Oxford English Dictionary(1933) as the main sources,based on the Construction Grammar, this thesis tries to study semantic constraints on adjectives,symmetry and asymmetry, syntactic functions of “this/that+adj”construction from a diachronic perspective. Furthermore, the thesis attempts to make a Construction Grammar interpretation to the syntax- semantics interaction in“this/that+adj”construction. The main findings are as follows:(1)“this +adj” construction first appears in 1485; “that +adj” construction first appears in 1616.(2)“this/that+adj”construction more inclines to accept adjectives of [+gradability], [-formality] and [+ subjectivity], but adjectives of [-gradability] can seldom enter this construction.(3)Four main symmetries and asymmetries in “this/that+adj”construction: Firstly, in semantics: 10 semantic domains can enter the construction besides Volition semantic domain.Secondly, in frequency: Based on corpus statistics, the total frequency of “that +adj” is much higher than that of “this +adj”. Thirdly, in time: “this +adj” first appears in1485, “that +adj” first appears in 1616. Fourthly, in polarity: “that +adj” quantification construction is more associated with negative words, such as not, no, never. “that +adj” is more dependent on negative polarity.Although “this +adj” can also be associated with negative words, the frequency is much less than that of “that +adj”.(4) “this +adj” and “that +adj” can mainly acts as predicative, attribute, complement,adverbial.(5) Interaction and constraint exist between semantic and syntactic function in“this/that +adj”, its[+ quantity], [- gradability], [-formality] and [+subjectivity] collide with the semantics of comparative construction(geometric sentence and comparative sentence),evaluation construction and degree adverb so as to “this/that + adj”cannot enter these above constructions; but the semantics of “this/that +adj” is integrated into the semantics of predicative,attribute, complement, adverbial. Meanwhile, there exists differences in semantic constraint on syntactic function.Bounded and unbounded distinction on human’s perception and cognition leads to boundedness and unboundedness on the “quantity” of nature and state. In “this/that +adj”quantification construction,“this/that” acts as degree adverb to modify and restrict adjectives,which indicating the bounded “Degree Measurement”of property and state, makes it has the semantics of [+ quantity], [-gradability], [-formality] and [+subjectivity], thus affects the syntactic behaviors.