Time Adverbs "successively" Perspective Study

"Xianhou"(先后),an adverb of time, is frequently used in modern Chinese. However, there is no deeply research on such an adverb, in the field of linguistics. On the basis of existing relevant research, this paper takes the adverb of time "Xianhou"(先后)in modern Chinese as the research object. Besides, it is also intended to explore the word’s syntactical, semantical, and pragmatical meanings as well as the process and mechanism of grammticalization from synchronic and diachronic perspectives. The whole paper can be divided into six parts.Chapter Ⅰ introduces the purpose, significance, means and methods of the research. In addition, it also describes the past relevant studies on "Xianhou"(先后)briefly and puts forward several theoretical questions related to this thesis.Chapter Ⅱ firstly makes a brief description of the basic characteristics of "Xianhou"(先后)different from the adverb of time and the noun of time. Then, the syntactic distribution features of "Xianhou"(先后)are stated from the components before and after it and the syntactic positions of "Xianhou"(先后) respectively so as to summarize its semantic features. Furthermore, the co-appearance law of "Xianhou"(先后)conjunct with other adverbs of time is also explored. In the last part of this chapter, the author examines and illustrates the special forms and collocations of "Xianhou"(先后)Chapter Ⅲ firstly presents an analysis of the semantic orientation of "Xianhou"(先后)from three aspects:semantics pointing to the syntactic, composition, and property of the object. Also, it makes an illustration and description of the Semantic Orientation constraints of "Xianhou"(先后)in terms of language components. i Secondly, the author also analyzes the distribution of "Xianhou"(先后)in different types of sentences; Finally, it examines the pragmatic functions of "Xianhou"(先后)in connecting sentences and in a text by using relevant theories on pragmatics.In Chapter Ⅳ, the author makes a contrastive analysis of "Xianhou"(先后)and "Qianhou"(前后)and places and emphasis on their semantic and pragmatic differences. Then, the semantic and grammatical similarities and differences of "Xianhou"(先后) in two language contexts are analyzed in terms of common Chinese language and Chinese dialect. Besides, their relationship is also discussed. Chapter Ⅴ mainly looks into the grammaticalization process of "Xianhou"(先后)from a diachronic level and clarifies the three grammaticalization stages and processes of "Xianhou"(先后)from noun of time to adverb of time. In addition, the motives and mechanisms of its grammaticalization are elaborated. The grammaticalization of "Xianhou"(先后)is mainly motivated by the structures, metaphorical mechanisms, and semantic changes, which constitute the three mechanisms of "Xianhou"(先后)being grammaticalized into adverb of time.Chapter VI, on the basis of the exploration of the grammaticalization of "Xianhou"(先后)in the previous chapter, conducts a multiple analysis of the internal and external structures of seven antisense disyllabic adverbs of time which have similar structures to "Xianhou"(先后),and makes a reasonable explanation and summary of the basic elements and processes in the grammaticalization of these types of adverbs of time.