Interrogative Pronouns In Mandarin Chinese From Perspective Of Modality

The high frequency,wide range and complex usage of modern Chinese interrogative pronouns is one of the important topics in grammar research.There are still many debates about the essential properties of interrogative pronouns and the status of non-interrogative usage.This study is guided by a functionalist view of language and adopts a combination of form and meaning,focusing on the semantic usage of interrogative pronouns from the external perspective of the modality.Chapter one studies the concepts of "interrogative" and "referent",analyzes the use of the interrogative pronoun as a kind of referent for the unknown,which indicates "doubt" rather than "question".The basic semantic element is [unknown][indefinite].Depending on the speaker’s needs,the interrogative pronoun can be used as a real referent to emphasize the unknown and a unreal referent to weaken the unknown.Chapter two examines the relationship between interrogative pronouns and modality;there are differences in modal orientation behind different uses of interrogative pronouns,modality plays an important role in the referential realization.Chapter three examines the transformation of interrogative pronouns into interrogative sense,and explores the co-occurrence patterns of interrogative pronouns and modality in special interrogative and rhetorical sentences.The transformation of interrogative sense to rhetorical sense is accompanied by the change of modality from listener orientation to speaker orientation.Chapter four examines the influence of modality on the referent realization of interrogative pronouns,focusing on the dependence of the non-referential interrogative pronouns on the modal environment,the two are a cooperative relationship,and specifically analyzing the semantic and modal expressions of the structure of non-referential interrogative pronouns,which can express epistemic or deontic modality.In general,the semantic use of interrogative pronouns involves both "interrogative" and "referent".There is a close connection between modality and these two categories,and the use of modality as a coloring agent can explain the issues related to interrogative pronouns in a more systematic and effective way.