"/" Symmetry And Asymmetry Research

This essay attempts to use "Markedness Theory" as a guide,researching on the Modern Chinese "da" and "xiao" from three levels of symmetrical and asymmetrical phenomena in lexical,phrases and syntax,to make a detailed description of asymmetrical situations and conclude the reason of asymmetry.The essay sums up the previous research results on "da" and "xiao",and gives a brief introduction to the condition of applying "Markedness Theory" to the research on "da" and "xiao".In lexical level,the author searches infinitely for 410 "da…"(…stands for any Chinese character or words,except for special notes)and 240 "xiao…" entries as analytical objects,and divide them by meanings into 11 categories,then compare and describe the conditions of symmetric and asymmetric under each meaning.In phrase level,the author mainly analyzes some formats,such as "da/xiao +physiological verb","da/xiao+concrete action verb","da/xiao+premises noun", "da/xiao+appellation noun","da/xiao+time Log"and special formats like "da V1 da V2","da V te V","number+da/xiao+noun".In syntax level,regardless of Question 1 "Be+N+Adj.?" or Question 2 "Be+N+Adj.+or+not?",active ingredients "da" and negative elements"xiao" are both marked and have definite semantic scope.However, in Questions 3 " How+Adj.+be+N?",the positive elements "da" is unmarked,and the negative elements "xiao" is marked.Finally,this essay looks into the course of asymmetry from internal and external language.In intemal language,"da" and "xiao" constitutes an antonymous system, "lao"and "xiao" also constitutes an antonymous system.When "xiao" and "lao" are symmetrical,"xiao" and "da"are asymmetrial.In external language,people's expression and communication are affected by psychological factors,cognitive factors, the economic principle,the principle of courtesy and social cultural factors,which is also a course of asymmetry between "da" and "xiao".