A Survey Of The Studies On Preposition Over From The Perspective Of Embodied Theory

Prepositional polysemy is a frequent phenomenon in English. It is also difficult forstudents to grasp the usage of preposition. Since over is a typical representative inpreposition part of speech, the polysemy studies of preposition over have shot up. Anumber of foreign and Chinese scholars have studied the polysemy phenomenon ofpreposition over from all kinds of aspects. However, few scholars have paid muchattention to the review of the previous studies. Therefore, the thesis attempts tosummarize the polysemy studies of preposition over and evaluate the approachesemployed in the studies on the basis of the document method.The thesis summarizes the previous polysemy studies of over from the perspectiveof grammar and semantic. After the combing of previous studies, the author generalizesthree approaches, they are Full Specification Approach, Partial Specification Approachand Principled Polysemy Model. The three methods have both advantages anddisadvantages, the author evaluates the three methods and points out their advantages anddisadvantages. Then the thesis puts forward Embodied Hypothesis Model to make up theabove three methods. Therefore, the major research question of the thesis is: howEmbodied Hypothesis Model makes up the weak points of the three traditionalapproaches? Based on the question, the thesis collects and classifies the previous studiesof over through the literature method and analytic method. Through the study, the thesispoints out the shortages of the three methods and the feasibility of Embodied HypothesisModel. Then the author attempts to employ this model to make up the weak points of thethree methods and testify its explanative power. The thesis consists of six chapters. The first chapter mainly introduces thebackground, research question, research method and theoretical basis, purpose andsignificance and organization of the thesis. The second and third chapter summarize thepolysemy studies of over from the perspective of grammar and semantic respectively.Through the summary and analysis of the previous studies, three approaches aresummarized: Full-Specification Approach, Partial-Specification Approach and PrincipledPolysemy Model. The fourth chapter evaluates the three approaches and points out theiradvantages and disadvantages. The fifth chapter is very important. This chapter searchesfor a new method on the basis of the fourth chapter and presents Embodied HypothesisModel to make up the shortages of the three methods. The last chapter is conclusion. Itmainly includes findings, expectation and shortages of the thesis.Through the analysis of the literature, the thesis has the following findings.1) Theredo exist shortages in the polysemy method of preposition over. Some are too detail todescribe the meaning; some fails to fully describe the meaning. Therefore, a new methodis waited to be found to solve the problem.2) Embodied Hypothesis Model is rooted inhuman’s body experience, which could make up the shortages of the three approaches.Since Embodied Hypothesis Model is explanative and scientifical, it should be widelyused in the polysemy studies of preposition.3) The studies of preposition over isgradually deepened, from concrete domain to abstract domain.The thesis has both theoretical and practical significance. As for the theoreticalsignificance, through the analysis and evaluation of the approaches employed in theprevious studies of over, the thesis put forward Embodied Hypothesis Model to make upthe above three approaches. This will show some enlightenment on the theoretical basisfor the further studies of over. Then the thesis will inevitably broaden the sight of thereaders and pinpoint the destination of learning and studying preposition over. In addition,through the analysis of the previous approaches, the insufficient viewpoints get correctedand supplied. As for the practical significance, the comprehensive review of over wouldhelp students grasp the understanding and application of spatial preposition over, and also the whole preposition part of speech will be learned quickly and easily. Given thefact that the difficulties of understanding polysemy prepositions, the grasp of the wholepreposition will be a useful way leading to successful communication with foreigners.Based on the polysemy theoretical basis of preposition over, some enlightenment will beshown for students to carry out further study. Meanwhile, the thesis, to a certain degree,will provide reference for the future study of polysemy studies, however, because of theensure of the thesis, the thesis can not escape the suspicion of being too subjective.Future studies are expected to make some improvements.