A Study On The Structure And Function Of Double Negation

Double negation is an important linguistic phenomenon that expresses the positive meaning through the form of renegation on the basis of expressing negation.The linguistic facts of Chinese show that double negation is a category with great linguistic tension,which can both strengthen and weaken the tone.In this pape,the structure,pragmatic function and motivation of double negative sentences are investigated in detail from the perspective of interaction.At the same time,semantic disambigution and pragmatic reasoning of double negation are carried out.Comparing with negative rhetorical questions that can also express positive meaning,the optimal model of positive expression is established as well.In this paper,we make a detailed analysis and research on the 16 common double negative structures.In the aspect of the form,the selection of negative markers in the double negative structures is strictly restricted,which is the result of“?”and"??"choosing"individual predicate"and"phased predicate"respectively and interacting with other components in the structure.In terms of function,the double negative sentence has both the functions of strengthening and weakening the tones.Functions are ristricted by both structural hierachy and the meaning of commented words.The vagueness of pragmatic functions come from the malalignment of positive form and negative form.Based on "complying to the principle of quality","deliberate violation of the principle of quantity" and "reducing the face threat of politeness strategies",the speaker is motivated to choose the double negation as a form of expression.On the other hand,the hearer will understand the semantics and disambiguate according to the context.In this paper,we construct the pragmatic inference model on the basis of the mental model theory from Bruno.Finally,in order to construct the optimal model of positive expression,we compares the double negative sentence with the negative rhetorical question from three aspects: generation mode,interactive environment and discourse function.