A Research On The New Popular Construction "XX/XY Zi(子)"

The thesis took the new popular construction "XX/XY Zi(子)",which is frequently found in daily life,as the object of research.Based on theory of construction grammar,the thesis described both the whole construction and its components in detail,and elaborated on its syntactic,semantic and pragmatic features.Combining Halliday’s metafunction theory,the functions of the construction "XX/XY Zi(子)" were discussed from three aspects: ideational,interpersonal and textual.The meanings of the "Zi(子)" in dialects and ancient Chinese were also examined according to Fuyi Xing’s " Pu-Fang-Gu" triangle theory,in order to trace the origin of "Zi(子)" in the construction.Finally,the reasons for the formation and prevalence of the construction "XX/XY Zi(子)" were analyzed.The thesis includes five following parts:The introduction part explained the background of the thesis,and clarified the object of the research--the new popular construction "XX/XY Zi(子)".By discussing known articles,we found shortcomings of current research.Then,the theoretical foundations of the thesis were introduced.Moreover,the significance of the article was described in terms of both theoretical significance and practical value.Finally,the research methodology and the sources of the examples were briefly explained.Chapter 1 is an overall analysis of the construction "XX/XY Zi(子)".Firstly,based on Goldberg’s and Chinese researchers’ criteria for determining constructions,"XX/XY Zi(子)" was defined as a construction.The parts of speech to which the variable belongs were described with concrete examples.The construction was divided into two categories,and both semantic features and syntactic functions were explained respectively.Chapter 2 is pragmatic analysis of the construction "XX/XY Zi(子)".The characterizations of the construction were concluded by analysing examples.Moreover,based on Halliday’s metafunction theory,its ideational,interpersonal and textual functions were also examined.Chapter 3 analyzed the formation and prevalence of the construction "XX/XY Zi(子)".The formation of constructions was the result of a combination of both internal and external factors.The popularity of this construction can be attributed to three factors: the desire for novelty,the contribution of social needs and the support of social media.The conclusion part summarized the main points and innovations of the thesis,and analyzed the prospects for future research.