Research On The Parenthesis In Modern Chinese

Based on semantic-functional grammar, and in the light of cognitive grammar, grammaticalization theory and systematic functional grammar, this paper studies the parenthesis in modern Chinese. The research scope of parenthesis is defined first, and about 260 parenthesis are classified, whose nature, semantic and functional characters are analyzed. Some phenomena are explained from the perspectives of semantics, function, cognition and diachronic evolution. In addition, three parenthesis are studied in detail.Chapter One is Introductions. It introduces the past study of parenthesis, the main issues, the theory and methods applied in the paper. The necessities and problems in the study are analyzed.In Chapter Two, different parenthetical components are studied and classified on the basis of the information redundance of parenthetical components. The research scope of parenthesis is defined, whose essential function are analyzed, which is to express the subjectivity. The relations between parenthesis and independent syntactic component are also discussed, and it is inferred that parenthesis is independent syntactic component.Chapter Three is about the functions and classifications of parenthesis. First, the syntactic, semantic and functional features of parenthesis are generalized. Then parentheses are classified into different groups on the basis of their semantics and functions. The non-inter-subjectivity parenthesis are mainly studied in this chapter. The semantics and pragmatic functions of different classifications are observed as well as their forms. Some necessary explanations are given.Chapter Four is on the inter-subjectivity parenthesis, which consists of three classes:Nikan(你看),Nixiang(你想)and Nishuo(你说),whose formal characters and pragmatic functions are studied. For some parentheses, the process of inter-subjectivization is described. The relation among parenthesis, pragmatic markers and discourse markers are discussed in the end. It is concluded that parentheses are pragmatic markers from pragmatic angles..Chapter Five studies the subjectivity of qiao(瞧).Different synchronic meanings and functions of qiao(瞧)are studied. It is inferred that qiao(瞧)is an expectation marker. While the subjectivizaion of qiao(瞧)is studied, the motivation and mechanism are analyzed. It is inferred that the semantic evolution of visual verbs in Chinese has universal senses.Chapter Six is on the pragmatic function and semantic evolution of nixiang(你想),whose grammaticalization is studied. The usages of different versions are described. As a pragmatic marker, the semantic and essential function of nixiang(你想)are to achieve the agreement on the speakers'opinions, and meanwhile Nixiang(你想)is a mitigation. It is concluded that Nixiang(你想)is used to express the inter-subjectivity. The co-occurrence of Nixiang(你想)and mood particles are studied, too.Chapter Seven is on the two epistemic parenthesis, Bieshi(别是)and Biebushi(别不是).The similarities and differences on semantic and function are studied. The synchronic grammaticalization of Bieshi(别是)are approached. The formation of Biebushi(别不是)are explained, too. The conclusion is that Bieshi(别是)is a epistemic markers, while Biebushi(别不是)is a apprehension-epistemic marker in modern Chinese.Chapter Eight is the conclusion of the dissertation. It sums up the characters of parenthesis in modern Chinese. It is concluded that each parentheses has its features and is worth studying.In a word, this dissertation offers micro analysis as well as macro explorations, and there are detailed explanations as well as descriptions of language facts. More attention is given to language facts, language laws; As to semantics, pragmatics and cognition, the study emphasizes the fundamental and decisive functions of semantics, the motive functions of pragmatics and the explanative functions of cognition; In synchronic analysis and diachronic investigation, we resort more to synchronic analysis. Diachronic investigation is done for the purpose of synchronic analysis. This dissertation aims at the theoretical and practical values, as is useful to the grammatical theory, Chinese teaching as a foreign language and language computer processing.