A Study Of English And Chinese Compound NP's Semantic Configuration

Compound NP reflects not only clarity in form and expression, but also the complicated semantic relationship. It reflects changes in language reality, shows the compositionality of language in the raw, increases language productivity, and serves to expand language. Therefore, it is of great significance to research on compound NP.The key viewpoint of this dissertation is that compound NP's semantic totality is frequently not accumulation of its forming parts but outgrows its forming parts.In this thesis, previous researches on semantics of compound NP are surveyed at first. Conceptual blending is generally regarded as the basic cognitive mechanism of formation of compound NP. However, there are some limitations in common of conceptual blending theory above-mentioned: (1) All of these theories think that boundary of compound NP is clear. It is possible to explain conceptual blending theory only if boundary of categories is clear. (2) All of these theories think that concept of each compound NP'component is indispensable, and all of them are necessary to final blending of compound NP concept. (3) All of these theories only focus on meaning association between forming parts of compound NP, but have too little research on other factors which influence compound NP's semantic totality. (4)All of these theories pay attention to static study of compound NP, but have too little research on semantic shift of compound NP and relevant interference factors.(5) All of these theories are based on the analysis of English corpus, and it is truly fit to analyze English, but it is doubtable to fit for the cross-linguistic situation.The above limitations and basic viewpoint of classical category happen to hold the same view. Therefore, this thesis explains compound NP's semantic totality is frequently not accumulation of its forming parts but outgrows its forming parts from cognitive category perspective which covers the shortage of conceptual blending perspective. Compound NP is divided into two kinds in this thesis, namely, non-metaphorical Compound NP and metaphorical Compound NP, because of their different cause of meaning formation. Within the framework of cognitive category, we analyze the phenomenon that non-metaphorical compound NP's semantic totality is frequently not accumulation of its forming parts but outgrows its forming parts from the leveling of categorization, category blending and gestalt perception and the principle of family resemblances perspective respectively. Then, we analyze polysemy of metaphorical Compound NP from conceptual metaphor perspective, namely, metaphorical Compound NP's semantic totality outgrowing its forming parts.Cognitive category and conceptual metaphor theory are empirical radically. It is claimed that the theory should jump out of the linguistic camp and avoid circularity of reasoning by incorporating other research in neighboring disciplines. Therefore, this thesis explains neural mechanism of the two kinds of compound NP's semantic totality outgrowing its forming parts from the neural theory of metaphor perspective proposed by Narayanan and neurocognitive linguistics perspective proposed by Sydney Lamb. Treated this way, semantics of compound NP turns out to have a firm scientific basis in biology, and thus becomes a part of the natural scientific research.