The Demonstrative System And Indexical Category Of The Chongming Dialect

There are plenty of demonstratives in the Chongming (Wu) dialect. The demonstrative system is very complex and each has different usages. This thesis discusses the demonstrative system of the Chongming dialect in terms of syntax, semantic feature and pragmatic function, as well as other means with demonstrative function.Chongming demonstratives include 7 basic demonstratives, 7 compound demonstratives ,19 locative demonstratives and 10 temporal demonstratives .The demonstrative system is very complex on semantic feature, with proximity-distance opposition in some cases and without in other cases .When it is not necessary to distinguish between proximity-distance, they can use " [ki] " and "葛". If referent objects have proximity-distance opposition and referent objects are two, they can use"(吉) (葛)" or "(讲) (港)" to distinguish between proximity and distance; If referent object are three, they can use"(吉). (葛). (艾) or (讲) (港) (艾)" to distinguish proximity, distance and farther. So Chongming demonstratives sometimes needn't distinguish proximity-distance, sometimes distinguish proximity-distance, sometimes distinguish proximity, distance and farther. According to the spatial distance and temporal distance of the referent objects and psychical distance of speaker, demonstratives vary on their usages. Whether the referent objects are perfect or unperfect. specific or nonspecific also affects the usages of demonstratives.Pragmatically, different demonstratives have different discourse functions. For example, deixis, anaphoric reference, cataphoric reference, etc. Scene description, subjective feeling, synchronic narration/reminiscent narration and first or second person/third person also affect discourse functions of each demonstrative. In addition, there're three ways with indexical function: 1) classifier + noun 2) bare noun +zero 3)"一"+ quantifier + noun, "两"+ quantifier +noun.[ki] occurs most frequently in all demonstratives. Its proximity-distance difference has already been neutralized and its demonstrative function has been bleached, [ki] has many properties of definite article so it is evolving towards definite article. In addition, [ki] is developing the function of marking topic and is becoming a topic marker.The Chongming dialect is ancient and characteristic. It has many differences from mandarin and also from the Shanghai dialect and other Wu dialects. In the end, this article shows some features shared by the Chongming dialect and other Wu dialect and some peculiar features exclusively owned by the Chongming dialect.