An Investigation Into The Phenomenon Of Adverbsof Degree Modifying Action Verbs In Changde Dialect Of Hunan Province

In Changde dialect, adverbs of degree are used to modify action verbs,which is quite special in grammar and seldom can be heard in mandarin and other dialects of China. The thesis studies the phenomenon of adverbs of degree modifying action verbs in Changde dialect by adopting the “small triangle” theory.The thesis includes eight parts:The introduction gives a brief introduction to the city of Changde and its dialect. In addition, it gives a literature review on the current situation of the studies on the grammar of Changde dialect. Furthermore, the author elaborates on the content,significance and theory of this thesis and lists the corpus sources,pronunciation partners and symbols of styles.The second part explores the major adverbs of degree in Changde dialect and its grammatical functions.According to the different members modified by the adverbs of degree,the adverbs of degree can be divided into the following types:1)“最、太、更、格外、若干、怪、滴滴儿”2)“歪”3)“几多、蠢、骇[xe13]、些微”.In addition,the syntactic function of“F+V/A”is also illustrated in this part.The third part illustrates action and degree. Degree and action are the two extremes, connected by momentum and time, forming the linear relationship of action-momentum-degree. The degree of action refers to the frequency, intensity, strength, scope and other measure that action has demonstrated in the dimension of time and momentum, which is the basis of the discussion on adverbs of degree modifying action verbs. Action verbs modified by adverbs of degree share a semantic basis: the semantics of durativity, unboundedness and state.Part four analyzes the “adverbs of degree+V” in Changde dialect byemploying the theory of the “small triangle”.A survey is conducted on the contextual meaning,semantic structure and semantic orientation by analyzing the linguistic outside form of“jiduo/chun+V”(几多/蠢+V).In addition,the pragmatic values of“jiduo/chun+V”(几多/蠢+V)are also studied.These pragmatic values include the principal of politeness,contextual function,the function of focus-contrasting,compensation,details-highlighting and strong expression.The fifth part focuses on the difference between “jiduo + V” and“chun+V” in Changde dialect. Syntactic differences lie in the use of marks of dutation, the restrictions on the sustainability of verbs, the overlapping and combinations of negative words etc. Differences of semantics lie in the sense of degree, negation, persuasion and reinforcement. Differences of pragmatics lie in whether it has the connotative function of irony, whether it has the function of focus-contrasting and the strength of expressional function, etc.The sixth part analyzes the qualities of “de”(的) in the sentence pattern“F+V+的” in Changde dialect. The qualities of “de”(的) are as follows: 1)It is pronounced [ti] and named “de 1” when the action continues or it’s completed. 2) It is pronounced [te] which can be called “de 2”and indicates the duration of actions. 3) When it indicates the deepening of degree, it is pronounced [te] which can be called “de 3”. 4) “de 4”,pronounced [te], indicates having the capability of a certain kind.Part seven focuses on the grammaticalization of“jiduo”"(几多).In Jin dynasty,at first“jiduo”"(几多)was an interrogative pronoun which later was also be used to refer to quantities.In Song dynasty,“jiduo”"(几多)can modify adjectives and two-type words of noun and adjective.It gradually develops into referring to degree,finally becoming an adverb ofdegree.The conclusion summaries the thesis and points out the main arguments, originality and its weakness for further improvement.