Studies On Modal Adverbs Of Nanchang Dialect

The Nanchang dialect belongs to the Chang-Jing area, and is considered to berepresentative of the more general Gan dialect. This thesis provides a comprehensive,systematic investigation and analysis of the modal adverbs of the Nanchang dialect. Itattempts to give a full, accurate picture of the use of these adverbs in the dialect. Itmakes comparisons with the use of modal adverbs, not only in Mandarin, but also inthe dialects of neighbouring areas, with a view to exploring the semantic, syntacticand pragmatic features of modal adverbs in the Nanchang dialect.The thesis is divided into four sections:1. Introduction. After giving an overview of the human geography andlanguage profiles of Nanchang city, the introduction reviews previousresearch on the Nanchang dialect in general, and its modal adverbs inparticular, and gives an assessment of the current state of the field. Itexplains the research objectives of the thesis and their significance, itsmethodology, and the sources of its data.2. Investigation and classification of the modal adverbs of the Nanchangdialect. First, the section explains concepts related to modal adverbs, andclearly delineates the scope of the study. Second, it gives an investigationand enumeration of the modal adverbs of the Nanchang dialect, andprovides a classification for them.3. Description of the modal adverbs of the Nanchang dialect according to theclassification previously introduced. This section first gives a detaileddescription and analysis of the Nanchang dialect’s modal adverbs in termsof three aspects: semantics, syntax and pragmatics. Then it comparesNanchang modal adverbs with those in Mandarin which have identical orsimilar semantic usage, or which use the same morphemes with differentmeanings or usage. The similarities and differences are analysed, so as toascertain the particular features of the Nanchang dialect’s use of modaladverbs as related to semantics, sentence structure, grammatical functionand pragmatic value. Attention is also given to the use of this category ofwords in other dialects.4. Conclusion. This section give a summary of the characteristics of modaladverbs in the Nanchang dialect, based on the analysis and descriptionprovided in the body of the thesis.