A Cognitive Semantic Study Of Chinese Atypical Verb-Object Collocations

Due to the diversified semantic relations between verbs and objects, the verb-object collocations have drawn a lot of attention in Chinese grammar study since the last century. According to different types of objects, there are two kinds of verb-object collocations, that is, typical verb-object collocations and atypical ones. In the typical cases, transitive verbs collocate with patient objects. In the atypical cases, transitive verbs collocate with objects of location, instrument or manner. In Chinese, the verb chi “to eat” can be followed by various kinds of objects. Chi + NP structure embodies many particular characteristics of Chinese verb-object collocations. The study of Chi + NP structure serves as one of the typical cases of Chinese verb-object collocation research.Within the framework of cognitive linguistics, the author aims to analyze the formation mechanisms of the extended meanings of the verb chi “to eat” and to explore the cognitive motivations for the semantic shift of NP. What's more, the schematic networks of Chi, NP, Chi + NP and V+NP are constructed. Schema category theory, conceptual metaphor theory and conceptual metonymy theory are combined to support this thesis. Compared with previous methods, the modified network model focuses on cognitive mechanisms and dynamic construal of the extended meanings. Thus, it is powerful in dealing with the atypical collocations.It is argued in this thesis that the formation mechanism of the extended meanings of the verb chi is governed by human general cognitive principles. The INCLUSION schema, prototypical meaning and the extended meanings form a category triangle. The INCLUSION schema is the base for the extended meanings. The prototypical meaning functions as the cognitive reference point. The conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy are two ways for the development of the extended meanings. The semantic shift of NP is motivated by conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy. According to our encyclopedic knowledge, source, instrument, manner, appearance and taste are components of the EATING EVENT frame. The different components of the frame can be either highlighted or hidden. When certain component is highlighted, it can attract people's attention, stimulate people's imagination and trigger certain conceptual metaphors or metonymies.This thesis is designed to provide a detailed case study for exploring different types of the atypical verb-object collocations. The significance of this thesis also lies in its practical applications, such as cross-cultural communication, translation and foreign language teaching activities. “Chi Culture” has influenced our lifestyles and values for centuries. From the study of Chi+NP, readers, especially foreigners can gain knowledge about Chinese traditional culture and customs.