Study Of Integrating Motivation And Meaning Construction Of Nianlian

Within the framework of the Cognitive Grammar, combined with the Revised Analytical Model of Autonomy/Dependence Alignment (A/D A) established by Prof. Niu Baoyi (2011), this thesis has made an investigation in rhetorical device Nianlian, aiming to discover the motivation for the integration of its components and the principle of its meaning construction. As a popular linguistic phenomenon, it is defined as:…in accordance with the established context, the expression used for the description of A is tactfully borrowed to describe B. A is usually concrete and used in the preceding utterance; B, by contrast, is abstract and used in the following. (Huang & Liao, 2002)For the purpose of investigation, this thesis has observed and generalized the syntactic and semantic features of Nianlian. Syntactically, (i) it is a coordinate structure comprising two or more conjuncts that confirm to same syntactical pattern; (ii) the repeated dominant words (DW) combine with other elements (represented as A, B, etc.) to form different conjuncts; (iii) it is hierarchical in its organization, the first conjunct is constituted before the following. Semantically, (i) the DWs express different meanings when combines with different elements, one is prototypical meaning, others are extended; (ii) when conceived alone, the first conjunct is well acceptable, the followings are not and also constitute the semantic focus of the overall expression; (iii) the elements in different conjuncts are semantically relevant; (iv) the conjuncts are conceived relevant based upon a relational association.In accordance with these features observed, this thesis makes investigation on the cognitive foundation of Nianlian by means of A/D-alignment analysis, to account for its integrating motivation and meaning construction. The thesis finds: the components of Nianlian are integrated at two levels by virtue of a corresponding relationship. At the lower level, the components are integrated to form different conjuncts. The DW serves as the dependent component, and other elements are autonomous elements. The salient schematic substructure within the dependent component is profiled to offer an e-site that can be elaborated by the specific semantic profile of the autonomous component. Hence the two entities are superimposed, and their specifications merged, to form the composite structure. Concerning semantic anomaly in the less acceptable conjunct, this is the violation of selectional restriction that can be overridden in the situational and syntagmatic context offered by the first conjunct. The meaning of the composite structures subsumes both the profiles of its components and the additional aspects that are largely supplied by context. At the higher level, the conjuncts of Nianlian are integrated by virtue of a correspondence based upon associational relationship. The less acceptable conjunct is the dependent structure in which a salient schematic substructure is profiled to function as an e-site that schematically indicates an associational basis (cause, condition, etc.). The well acceptable conjunct is the autonomous structure that profiles a specific cause or condition to elaborate the e-site. In this way, the overall structure is constituted and expresses a specific associational relationship.Therefore, a tentative conclusion can be made that the component structures of Nianlian are integrated by virtue of a corresponding relationship among them, whose meaning is constructed dynamically and along with the process of integration at each level.