The Functions And Evolution Of Modal Paricles"Ye(也)","Yi(矣)",and"Yi(已)"

This dissertation discusses the ancient Chinese modal particles Ye(也), Yi(矣), Yi(已), and YeYiYi(也已矣), and their grammatical functions and changes from the pre-Qin to the late Tang period by focusing on the handed texts and the unearthed texts. By examining these modal particles, this dissertation shows how modal particles, which are mainly considered as having mood, play a role in a grammatical capacity.The dissertation comprises six chapters; the first chapter is an introduction, reviewing the previous discussion on this topic and elaborating the focal debates and my arguments. Different languages have their own ways of expressing modality. In Chinese, modal particles are the specific tool to translate modality, affect, or mood in sentences. Therefore, by analyzing the modal particles in the handed texts and the unearthed texts, such as Shijing, Lunyu, and Guodian, this dissertation examines the grammatical changes in the three particular modal particles, Ye(也), Yi(矣), and Yi(已).The following chapters (second, third, and forth) discuss in-depth the evolution and functions of Ye(也), Yi(矣), Yi(已). For example, Ye(也) and Yi(矣) were seen frequently in the texts from the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period, while they were rarely used in the late Tang period. The usage of Yi(已) was found in the Warring State period, but it disappeared in the East Han Dynasty. As to the functional consideration, I argue that modal particles not only have mood, but also have grammatical roles. I show that Ye(也), usually used as a declarative mood of modal particle, has judgmental function in a grammatical sense; that Yi(矣) has Perfect Aspect function; and that Yi(已) has both judgmental and Perfect Aspect functions. The fifth chapter is to put forward a new view on YeYiYi(也已矣) in Lunyu. According to the unearthed documents, I found that YeYiYi(也已矣) was seldom used in the pre-Qin period, while it gradually increased in the East Han Dynasty. YeYiYi(也已矣) was seen frequently in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but it decreased in the Tang Dynasty; The HuangKan text has thirteen sentences with YeYiYi(也已矣), while the Tang-shijing includes eight sentences with it. This chapter also analysed the changes in grammatical function during different periods when they were used, and revealed the reasons for their differences.By separating the mood from the grammatical functions in the usage of the ancient Chinese modal particles, this dissertation contributes to show how the three modal particles, Ye(也), Yi(矣), Yi(已) contain mood as well as grammatical functions from the pre-Qin to the late Tang period.