The Grammatical Study On The Verbs Of Songyuan Huaben

The purpose of the study on the verbs of Songyuan Huaben (Song-Yuan script) is to investigate and understand the semantics and the grammar of this medieval period. The characteristics of the verbs used in the Songyuan Huaben are juxtaposed to the Chinese language used in preceding dynasties, while charting its historical development to the contemporary Chinese language. This thesis consists of 9 chapters. According to the common principles of grammatical features and semantic characteristics, verbs are classified into eight categories. These are auxiliary verbs, directional verbs, judgement verbs, existent verbs, mental verbs, causative verbs, action verbs and state verbs. Through the use of diachronic comparison, a technique used to compare the internal language law of the Songyuan Huaben, one is able to differentiate and describe the characteristics of the various grammatical verbs, its semantics and explain its developments.In the introduction, a concise explanation is given on the investigation of the international and domestic aspects in the Songyuan Huaben. The research and development of the verb is discussed and the rules of verb classifications are confirmed. In addition, the research methodology is introduced.The second chapter deals with the communicative function of the auxiliary verbs. The auxiliary verbs can be classified into possible verbs, willing verbs and necessary verbs. The semantics and sentence structure of these three classes of auxiliary verbs is analyzed. While charting its gradual development in the evolution of the Chinese language, the usage of the auxiliary verbs in the Songyuan Huaben has been perfected. This leads to variations such as the positive sentence, negative sentence, rhetorical question and the double negative question. The constitution of the sentence pattern has been altered as well, given rise to the declarative sentence, interrogative sentence and imperative sentence. This precedes the appearance of the auxiliary verbs used in modern Chinese language.The third chapter is targeted on the directional verbs. A thorough description and explanation of the numbers, semantics and syntactic functions of directional verbs will be made. The directional verbs of the Songyuan Huabens can be use as predicate and a complement as well. When used as a predicate, it can be fit into a variety of sentences; while used as a complement, it denotes directional meaning, resulting meaning and dynamic meaning. While the semantics and syntactic functions of the Songyuan Huabens are extremely similar to that used in the modern Chinese language, there are some dissimilarities. For example there are some directional verbs common in the Song-Yuan period are no longer in use or only retain in some dialects. Some examples are the usage of monosyllabic directional verbs of "transfer(转)"and "enter(入)",and "go away(开去),rise(起去),transfer from(转来),transfer to(转去),enter from(入来),enter to(入去)"in compounded directional verbs. This chapter also investigates and continues with the descriptive explanation of the complement and word order of the object in verb-tendency complement with object. The "V + jiang(将)+ qu(趋)"verb-complement structure and completive directional complements with "dei(得)"are also explained.The fourth chapter touches on judgement verbs. Based on the relationship of the pre-verb part and post-verb part of the judgement verbs, its can be explained and classified into three categories, which are the verbs "shi(是)",the verbs "xiang(像)"and the verbs "jiao(叫)".Exhaustive description and explanation to these three categories of verbs are then carried out. This chapter also tries to present other types of judgement verbs appears in Songyuan Huabens.The fifth chapter classified existent verbs into three categories. These are existent verbs, appearance or disappearance verbs and increase or decrease verbs. The application of "you(有)"is the most complicated comparing with the other kinds of verbs,"you(有)"denotes various meaning, such as existence, possession, comparison and measurement. Its also constructs various form of sentences, including simple sentence and complicated sentence. This chapter also introduces that interrogative sentence was in an indeterminate phase during Song-Yuan period.The sixth chapter bases on semantic features and syntactic functions of the mental verbs, divides the mental verbs uses in Songyuan Huabens into five categories: mood verbs, emotion verbs, perceptive verbs, cognitive verbs and causative verbs. The research not only analysis the characteristics and sentence structure of the mental verbs, but also divides each kind into different semantic categories in according to their semantic features.The seventh chapter deals with causative verbs and based on the verbs semantic, divides into three categories. These are imperative verbs, causative verbs and permission verbs. The semantic and syntactic characteristics of the verbs are fully discussed. This chapter also divides causative verbs into six subclasses. Compares and induces of their common denominator and differentia between imperative structure and causative structure. As in conclusion, the verbs such as "jiao(教),ling(令),shi(使),zhe(着)and jiao(交)"are analyzed based on their applied frequency and progresses.The eighth chapter targeted on the syntactic and semantic characteristics of action verbs and state verbs generally and a through description on mutual verbs. The number of the action verbs in Songyuan Huabens is the most in amount. It has an open denotation of verbs and diversity of sentence patterns. In terms of verbs arguments numbers, it can be categories into monovalent action verbs, bivalent action verbs and trivalent action verbs. As for state verbs, according to the verbs arguments numbers, can also divides into three categories, e.g. monovalent state verbs, bivalent state verbs and trivalent state verbs.The ninth chapter is the conclusion which summarizes the dissertation and indicates the deficiencies. It supplements the areas of this kind of research should involve in.