A Study Of Evidentiality In Chinese Research Articles Of Theoretical Linguistics:An SFL Perspective

This thesis deals with evidentiality in Chinese research articles(hereafter RAs)of theoretical linguistics under the framework of Systemic-functional Linguistics.Review of literature shows that evidential systems in Chinese are scarcely studied.On the other hand,scholarship devoted to evidentiality has paid little attention to functions performed by evidentiality.Against this background,this study seeks to explore the lexicogrammatical realizations and distributions of evidentiality in Chinese RAs of theoretical linguistics as well as its interpersonal functions.The data for this study were collected from five top journals,totaling fifty Chinese theoretical linguistic RAs.Adopting Hu Zhuanglin(1994a)'s model of evidentiality and Appraisal Theory as the analytical framework,the present study found that:(1)Most of the lexicogrammatical forms of evidentiality in Chinese theoretical linguistic RAs are mainly clauses rather than individual words.The same evidential form can carry different evidential meanings when put in different contexts and collocating with different expressions.(2)Of the six unevenly distributed categories of evidentials in the articles,(language)hearsay evidentials take the largest percentage followed by reliability.(sense)induction and(hypothesis)deduction evidentials.(Culture)belief and expectation evidentials are less frequently used.(3)Evidentials in Chinese theoretical linguistic RAs mainly perform three interpersonal functions:evaluation,interaction and persuasion.More specifically,they serve to reveal writers' attitude and stance towards the presented information,negotiate interpersonal relationship between writers and readers as well as persuade readers.In addition to detailing the lexicogrammatical realizations of evidentiality and revealing its interpersonal functions in Chinese RAs of theoretical linguistics,this study also provides implications for the teaching and learning of Chinese academic writing.