The Research On The "Xiang(向)"-sentence In Modern Chinese

The paper focuses on the study of the preposition "xiang" in modern Chinese. From the structure of "xiang", this article relates the structure of "xiang" and the associated language phenomenon of "xiang"constructions. By investigate the situation of "xiang" introduce the object, verb,"xiang" followed by "zhe" and "le", and the situation of "xiang" in the other sentences. Contact closely in the fact of Chinese language, in the Theory of Clausal Pivot background, using the theory of Small Triangles research method with the Theory of Clausal Government and the Theory of Subjective Viewpoint comprehensive and systematic study the situation of the preposition "xiang" in modern Chinese and summed up the use of certain rules and to make analysis and interpretation of the relevant issues.This paper is divided into seven chapters.The first chapter is the introduction. At first, the research status of preposition and preposition about "xiang" are reviewed. Because of the importance of preposition function, preposition has been always showed great interest by many scholars. The research of preposition is well developed from uncertainty of the speech at the beginning to in-depth understandingat present. The research of preposition "xiang" had made great achievements on semantic, function, grammaticalization, comparing with other prepositions, and language application, etc. But there are still much insufficient in the research, especially the systematic and in-depth research of "xiang construction". Then we introduced the idea of this paper, the content of the study is defined. The theoretical basis of this paper is in the Theory of Clausal Pivot background, using the Theory of Small Triangles research method with the Theory of Clausal Government and the Theory of Subjective Viewpoint study the preposition "xiang" and related issues.The second chapter studied the object which is introduced behind "xiang". Firstly, classify the substantive objects into three categories:the NP which is unconditional access, conditional access and then can’t be enter. The NP which is unconditional access including post-positional localizer, location nouns, nouns are referring to people, nouns are referring to things, some abstract nouns and pronoun. The NP which is conditional access means the NP collocate with "xiang" requires some certain grammatical devices that is the noun about body parts, the noun about works, some temporal nouns and some abstract nouns. The NP which is can’t enter into the structure of "xiang" that is event-noun and some temporal nouns. The NP which is conditional access with some grammatical devices:the first is adding the modifier or restricted ingredients before the noun as attribute. So that it is definite or has a clear connotation and denotation. The nouns like that is:body parts (the noun based on physical meaning) and some abstract nouns. The second is due to the constraints of the speech; need add affix to become disyllabic words which can be introduced by "xiang", this kind of noun is monosyllabic noun about body parts. The third is following the nouns with bearing words so that it highlights the locative. This kind of noun is body parts noun. Fourth, the object is restrained by Clausal Government to make the word is definite or metaphorical. This kind of noun is body parts (the noun based on physical meaning), the noun about works, some temporal nouns and some abstract nouns. Then summarized the factor of influence the NP enter into "xiang+NP" structure:spatiality, definiteness and metaphor. Meets at least one of which, NP can be used as the object of "xiang". And then analyzes the verbal object of "xiang", depending on the language fact corrected predecessors considered statement that before verbs as adverbial "xiang" may not be followed by adjectives and verb as object. Finally, focus on the analysis the object of "zouxiang" followed by"non-NP". Summarizes the "non-NP"entry conditions, and use the Theory of Subjective Viewpoint explains the phenomenon that "from failure to failure" is less used than "from victory to victory".The third chapter is investigation of the VP with "xiang". When "xiang"located before verbs to constitute "xiang+X+VP", follow the "xiang" description of features to categorize, one is the "xiang" is indicating the direction of action, one is the VPwhen "xiang" is indicating the object of action, one is the VPwhen "xiang" is indicating the target of action. It argues that "xiang" has the function of indicating the target of action, which is a supplement described "xiang"in the dictionary in the past,"xiang" indicate the target is from indicating the direction. The appraisal form is in the structure "xiang+X+VP", V can combine with "dao" to compose "V+dao+X", and"X" is not post-positional localizer or post-positional localizer phrases. At this time,"xiang" is indicating the target. Such division can fine out the difference between "xiang" indicate the direction of VP and indicate the target of VP, which can more accurately describe the picture of the VP. When "xiang" is located in the following of the verb, is divided into the displacement verbs and non-displacement verbs to categorize and describe. Then the two kinds of structure of verbs were compared, summed up which verbs can be up used before the verbs and also be used after verbs, which can only be used before the verb, which can only be used after verbs. The comparison of the difference between two kinds of semantic structure is discussed,"V+xiang+X" is more focus on the target in the semantics than"xiang+X+VP". Also analyzed the preposition "xiang" influence on the choice of VP, find VP, find their semantics and indroduce object impact on the choice of VP from the process of the grammaticalization. Finally talked about lexicalization of "Vxiang" and combed its trajectory from the diachronic point of view.Summed up the performance of "Vxiang" on the lexicalization and analyze the mechanism and motivation which cause its Lexicalization. The process of demonstration showed "Clausal Pivot" and "Clausal Government" also has specific expression in the grammaticalization and lexicalization.The fourth chapter is investigating the auxiliary"zhe" and "le" after "xiang" in the "xiang+X+VP" and "V+xiang+NP" structures. In the "xiangzhe+X+NP", at first make a diachronic investigation on "xiangzhe". Through describing the four formats of "xiangzhe", combined with the situation of "xiangzhe" match the verb and the object in the modern Chinese think that "zhe" is not a tense particle but has become the component of "xiangzhe" as a word. Andanalyzes the grammatical status of "xiangzhe" that is another function word is different from the "xiang", it is in a multi-level in modern Chinese. Sometimes "xiangzhe" is a verb, sometimes is a preposition, and sometimes isin the semi verb semi preposition state. The reason is that "xiangzhe" has not grammaticalized completely as a word. Then through comparing "xiangzhe" and "xiang", summed up the differences between them is in the semantic, tense and grammatical function. In the "V+xiang+X" structure, previous studies argue that when"xiang" is for the verb, it can only connect with"le", can’t connect with "zhe". This section proved that the legitimacy of "V xiangzhe+X" with the language facts, and analysis of theverb enter into the structural, to classify the verbs and compare the difficulty of different kinds of verb. At last, investigate the situation of "le" behind "xiang":in the "xiangle+X+NP","xiangle"is as a preposition,"le" is a aspect marks which marked with perfective. This usage appears only in the modern novels, has disappeared in modern Chinese, but in the process of language survey found that a certain dialect is still having some residual."V xiangle+NP" is constituted by "V xiang" which were not in the same syntactic level but only were adjacent in liner order became compound verb, then connected with the tense auxiliary "le" which is a aspect mark.The fifth chapter is in the Theory of Clausal Pivot background, put the structure about "xiang" in the "ba (把)"-sentence in order to have more comprehensive understanding of "xiang" structure. There are three kinds of sentences. According to the classification of the three sentence patterns, describe particularly the verb and the object followed by "xiang" and "ba" in each sentence pattern. Then analyze three sentence patterns how to transform each other and analyze the pragmatic differences in the three types after conversion with the Theory of Clausal Government and the Theory of Subjective Viewpoint. The pragmatic differences are the difference in highlighting contents, in time of expression, and in order of information received. Then the three sentence structure can’t be transformed were discussed in six kinds of situation. And summed up the restricting factors of their conversion that is one is restricted by VP in "xiang" phrase, the other is restricted by the object which is introduced by "xiang" and "ba". At last, we analyze the differences and similarities of three prepositions:"xiang","chao(朝)" and "wang (往)".The sixth chapter is putting the "xiang" in the other special sentence to investigate. Firstly, analysis of the five kinds of syntactic forms constitute with "xiang" and "bei (被)". According to the research objective, two types of them are as the object of study. Through describing particularly the verb and the object followed by "xiang" and "bei" in each sentence pattern, we summarize the matching rules.The seventh chapter is a summary of the thesis. Summarizes some basic conclusions of this paper, points out the innovation of this paper and on the basis of the view of this paper put forward the direction of follow-up study.