A Neo-Gricean Pragmatic Analysis Of The Bu Shi Bu X Structure

Negation is necessary and common in every human language and holds the opposite meaning toward affirmative.Scholars have made studies on the definition,categories,semantic relation,affirmative conditions and structures of double negation,etc.There aren't any studies on a typical type of double negative structure that covers the most functions.In addition,scholars just focus on the pragmatic function of it and don't refer to its pragmatic inference mechanisms.Chinese double negation can be divided into semantic double negation and pragmatic double negation.Semantic double negation includes explicit semantic double negation and implicit semantic double negation.The explicit semantic double negation can be divided into the literal type and the veiled type.The definition of double negation is still not clear and this thesis adopts Fu's?1986?definition.The bu shi bu X structure is the typical type of the literal type in explicit semantic double negation.The X in bu shi bu X structure can be a notional verb,a modal verb,an adjective and a noun or noun phrases with a modifier.The bu shi bu X structure has three features.For its first feature,when the bu shi bu X structure is put at the middle of the sentence,it is able to trigger the following two relations with the context:first,it can introduce the progressive relation through er shi in the following context.Secondly,it can introduce the adversative relation through but or er shi in the following context.For its second feature,the word jue₁,jue₂,bing,you and ye can be placed in front of the bu shi bu X structure.For its last feature,the parenthesis can exist in it.However,in the following three cases,the bu shi bu X structure cannot be treated as the double negation structure.?1?bu X is only one of several options or exclusions provided by the speaker and it isn't denied by bu shi.?2?bu X is the modifier of the head phrase and isn't the objection of bu shi.?3?bu shi bu X is used to express the negative meaning in interrogative sentences.In the structure bu shi bu X,?er?shi bu Y,the word bu shi is used to deny the felicity condition of bu X,while bu Y is the appropriate expression given by the speaker.In this case,the bu shi bu X structure belongs to pragmatic double negation.This paper is going to discuss the pragmatic reference mechanisms and pragmatic functions of the bu shi bu X structure on the basis of the CCL corpus.Firstly,it analyzes the pragmatic inference mechanisms from the perspective of neo-Gricean pragmatic apparatus.Three pragmatic inference mechanisms correspond to M-principle,Q-principle and Horn-scales,I-principle respectively.Secondly,the bu shi bu X not only functions as understatement,but also functions as the over-volume affirmative function.The hearer can figure out that when the bu shi bu X structure is put at the middle of the sentence,it can trigger the progressive and adversative relation.It is used to supplement the information conveyed by the sentence.At the same time,some bu shi bu X structures or those structures with you ₁ and ye are used to avoid the head-on conflict and achieve interpersonal harmony.For these cases,the meaning expressed by the bu shi bu X structures fails to reach the extent of affirmative,so they function as understatement.The hearer can figure out that the bu shi bu X structure with bing,jue₁,jue₂,and the you₂ bu shi bu zhi dao structure is used to adjust emotional attitudes to show the speaker's firm attitudes or dissatisfaction.For these cases,the meaning expressed by the bu shi bu X structure exceeds the degree of affirmative,which embodies the function as over-volume affirmative.This thesis discusses the pragmatic inference mechanisms and pragmatic functions of the bu shi bu X structure and brings a different perspective to the study of Chinese double negation,so it is easier for people to grasp this language phenomenon.This further proves the explanatory power and practicability of neo-Gricean pragmatic apparatus.