Studies On The Semantic Expansion Of Chinese Spatial Adjectives

The purpose of this paper is to depict and analyze metaphorical mapping path, the c haracteristic and the imbalance in the mapping process through systematically observation, analyze how Chinese language users build the abstract space concept and the characteris tics of the structure and understand the abstract concepts.At present, Chinese scholars focus on the noun of locality and directional word, th e study of spatial adjective is very limited. The studies about spatial adjectives are ma inly in three aspects, form study, metaphor study, Chinese and foreign language compa rison. We haven’t found the systematically study of Chinese spatial adjectives.This article research mainly starts form two aspects. Firstly, observe and describe the mapping from space domain to target domain. We focus on three questions. One i s image schema because its mapping constancy. The other is level division. It will aff ect the accuracy of level system. The third is metaphor for depict the mapping path.Secondly, from the cognitive perspective, analyze the difference of metaphorical m apping results. We will observe them form two angles, individuals and system. Accord ing to the prototype category theory, prototypical meaning of one word will affect its extended meaning. Therefore, we will observe each spatial adjectives’prototypical mea ning. Since metaphor is systematical, we observe the relationship of each members.The full text is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, in troduced the study cause, research status, theoretical background, research thought and method. Chapter two defined the concept of spatial adjectives, depicted basic meaning and spatial meaning. In chapter three we depicted image schemas. Chapter four was about level division. In chapter five we analyze the the characteristic and the imbalanc e in the mapping process.We came into the conclusion finally. The target domain tend to choose unmarked adjectives, the target domain’s choice of the source domain differs from the second1evel, the number of source domain decrease step by step. The projection capabilities d iffers in word group of opposite meaning which were effected by the characteristics o f spatial adjectives and target domain.