Syntax-semantics Interface Of English And Chinese Ergative Verbs

This thesis mainly conducted a comparative study of English and Chinese ergative verbs from the perspective of syntax, semantics and their interface. The major findings are presented as follows:Syntactic similarities:firstly,part of English and Chinese ergative verbs can be modified by its corresponding reflexive pronoun,that is,“NP2+V+by+*self”and“NP2+ziji(自己)+V+le(了)”.Secondly,passive sentence is optional for English and Chinese ergative verbs rather than obligatory.Syntactic disparities:firstly,the past participle of English ergative verbs can work as an adjective to modify its corresponding surface subject.Chinese ones can only depend on the structure auxiliary word“de(的)”.Secondly,the type of middle formation of English ergative verbs is less than that of Chinese ones.Thirdly,English ergative verbs have diverse affixes,while Chinese ones tend to be much single unitary.And English ergative verbs can be subdivided into single-word ergative verbs and phrasal verb-ergative.While Chinese ergative verbs mainly consist of mono-morphemic and poly-morphemic ergative verbs.Semantic similarities: firstly, both English and Chinese ergative verbs are unwilled and unvolitional, and they contain the meaning of cause-become and result-state. Secondly, the semantic direction of English and Chinese ergative verbs is always the object. Semantic disparities: firstly, the semantic containing is different when it comes to the meaning of “past” and “accomplishment”.Secondly, meaning of “progressive” or “continuous” are seldom expressed in English ergative verbs.However, this often happens to Chinese ergative verbs.Syntax-Semantics interface: firstly, it is supported that semantics can determine syntax, which is a prerequisite for syntax determining semantics, that is to say, only when semantics determining syntax is mature, can the syntax determine semantics. Secondly, ergative construction “NP1/2+V+(NP2)” is put forward in the present study, which is formed by the meaning of “cause-become” and “result-state” of the typical ergative verbs. When the construction is stabilized, it can, in turn, influence and determine other atypical verb semantics. Lastly, internally-driven forces and externally-driven forces are quoted in this section. Internally-driven force refers to the intrinsic strength governed by the semantic properties of ergative verbs. As for ergative verbs, the meaning of “cause-become” and “result-state” are their internally-driven forces. Externally-driven force refers to the cognitive preference revealed by the language user when he proposes to express a particular event. Through interaction of the two forces,different sentence patterns, either transitive or intransitive, will be constructed.