The Lexical-semantic Multi-functions Of Jìn In Modern Chinese From The Perspective Of Lexical Typology

Jìn is a hot topic in the study of Chinese directional verbs.Previous studies of jìn mainly focused on its polysemy,syntactic restriction,and diachronic evolution,which have achieved abundant accomplishment.However,the semantic classification of jìn in existing studies is rather sketchy,cross-language research is relatively insufficient,and motivations and mechanisms for its semantic extension are not clear.The booming lexical typology and related typological analyzing tools has provided a novel sight for the lexical-semantic multi-functions of jìn.Based on lexical typology and typological approaches,this research discusses the lexical-semantic multi-functions of jìn and attempts to answer the following research questions:(i)What are the lexical-semantic multi-functions of jìn in Chinese?(ii)What are the conceptual space and semantic maps of the concept of JIN?(iii)What are the cognitive motivations and mechanisms for the semantic extension of jìn?Based on the previous studies,this research will explore the polysemy of forms related to the concept of JIN and build a conceptual space from the perspective of colexification,so as to delve into the universals and diversities within Chinese dialects and further probe into the motivations and mechanisms for the semantic extension of jìn.The main findings are as follows:Firstly,an object that can be metaphorized as a container will be more easily put into the slot of “jìn ‘enter’+ N” construction;verbs with the semantic feature(s)of[+displacement] and/or [+direction] will be more easily put into the slot of “V+ jìn‘into’” construction.The senses of JIN are firstly divided into two categories,namely,“directional meaning” and “resultant meaning”,of which “directional meaning” can be further divided into “go ahead” and “enter”.Both “go ahead” and “enter” will extend to metaphorical meanings respectively.Secondly,on the basis of the ontological properties of the concept of JIN,this research identifies the semantic chains of JIN,and then verifies whether they are reliable across Chinese dialects.By superimposing the semantic maps of various Chinese dialects,it is found that universals and diversities exist within Chinese,and there are similarities between Chinese and other languages in some expressions from the perspective of cross-language research.Thirdly,the concept of JIN involves four conceptual factors,namely,the starting point,the destination,the direction,and the moving subject.The above four factors are highlighted in varying degrees,which trigger the semantic extension of JIN.The ontological metaphor(particularly for CONTAINER metaphor),orientational metaphor,and analogical thinking are the key factors that motivate the semantic change of jìn.Semantic Attraction Effect and subjectification are the vital mechanisms that lead the semantic extensions of jìn.From the perspective of lexical typology,this research returns to the concept and makes a more detailed discussion of the lexical-semantic multi-functions of jìn,which shed light on the studies of directional verbs.Meanwhile,this research uncovers the motivations and mechanisms for the semantic extension of jìn on the basis of conceptual metaphor,analogical thinking,semantic attraction,and subjectification,which makes up for the deficiency of the previous lexical-typological research that emphasizes description and neglects explanation.