英语句法结构的语义可接受性及其认知理据

论文摘要

本文以认知语言学为方法,分别从认知常态性、范畴典型性和分布普遍性三个方面,综合而系统地探究了英语句法结构的语义可接受性。以帮助读者理解和掌握英语句法结构为初衷,文章探索性地揭示了英语句法结构的本质。作者首次提出了语义可接受性的概念,句法结构的语义可接受性是指语言的句法构造符合人们的认知模式,即句法结构和人们的经验结构,思维模式以及思维惯势之间有一定的对应性。首先作者通过运用图形—背景分离理论和直接辖域,论证了认知常态性越高,句法结构所呈现出的语义可接受性度也越高,反之亦然。语义可接受性还受句法范畴的典型效应影响。句法范畴中的典型成员往往表现出较高的语义可接受性,而非典型成员的语义可接受性相对较低。句法结构分布的普遍性也在一定程度上影响并反映语义可接受性的高低。分布普遍性高的句法结构,往往限制较少且具有较高的可接受性可无限复制,并表现出较高的结构转换性、类推性或能产性。本文从认知相似性、范畴典型性和分布普遍性三个视角分析语义可接受性既具有独创性,又具有认知理据性和现实可行性。作者通过分别对句法结构的认知常态性、范畴典型性和分布普遍性的分析,为句法结构的语义可接受性提供了颇具说服力的认知理据。本文共分六章。第一章阐述了三种基本的语义研究方法和写作目的。第二章介绍了象似性的局限以及认知理据。第三章至第五章是本文的重点和创新部分。第三章以常态性为理据,通过运用图形—背景分离理论和直接辖域,论证了认知常态性和语义可接受性的紧密联系。第四章以范畴典型性为理据,揭示了句法范畴的典型性和语义可接受性之间的一致性。第五章以标记理论为认知理据,探讨了英语及物句法结构的分布及语义可接受性。第六章是结论,在总结全文的基础上,阐述了从认知语言学的视角研究英语句法结构的语义可接受的意义。

论文目录

• 中文摘要
• Abstract
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Three Basic Approaches to Meaning
• 1.1.1 Truth-conditional Approach to Meaning
• 1.1.2 Structural Approach to Meaning
• 1.1.3 Cognitive Approach to Meaning
• 1.2 Objective of the Research
• Chapter 2 Cognitive Capacities underlying Cognitive Semantics
• 2.1 Iconicity
• 2.2 Constraints of Iconicity
• 2.3 Cognitive Motivation
• Chapter 3 Cognitive Normality as an Explanation for Semantic Acceptability
• 3.1 Cognitive Normality
• 3.2 Cognitive Normality of Semantic Acceptance
• 3.2.1 Figure-Ground Segregation
• 3.2.1.1 Origin of Figure-Ground Segregation
• 3.2.1.2 The Principle Pragnanze
• 3.2.1.3 Figure-Ground Segregation in Linguistic Study
• 3.2.2 Domain
• 3.2.2.1 Immediate Scope
• 3.3 Cognitive Motivation of Figure-Ground Segregation and Domain in Semantic Acceptability of Syntactic Constructions
• 3.3.1 Realization of Figure-Ground Segregation in Semantic Acceptability with Spatial Relation
• 3.3.1.1 The Semantic Acceptability with Semantic Event of Location
• 3.3.1.2 The Semantic Acceptability with Semantic Event of Motion
• 3.3.2 Realization of Figure-Ground Segregation in Semantic Acceptability with Temporal Relation
• 3.3.3 Realization of Domain in Semantic Acceptability with Transitive Constructions
• Chapter 4 Prototypicality of Categories as an Explanation for Semantic Acceptability
• 4.1 Categories in Linguistics
• 4.2 The Classical Approach to Categorization
• 4.2.1 Basic Assumptions of the Classical Approach to Categorization
• 4.2.2 Criticisms of the Classical Approach to Categorization
• 4.3 The Prototypical View of Semantic Category
• 4.3.1 Basic Assumptions of Prototype Categories
• 4.4 Thematic Roles
• 4.4.1 Basic Assumptions of Thematic Roles
• 4.4.2 The Correspondence between Subjects and Thematic Roles
• 4.4.3 The Correspondence between Sentence Elements and Thematic Roles
• 4.5 The Prototypicality of Categories and the Semantic Acceptability of English Syntactic Constructions
• 4.5.1 The Mapping between the Prototypicality of Syntactic-narrative Constructions and Their Semantic Acceptability
• 4.5.2 The Motivation for Semantic Acceptability of Prototypical Syntactic-narrative Constructions
• Chapter 5 Wide Distribution as an Explanation for Semantic Acceptability
• 5.1 Markedness Theory
• 5.1.1 Basic Assumptions of Markedness Theory
• 5.1.1.1 Formal Markedness
• 5.1.1.2 Distributional Markedness
• 5.1.1.3 Semantic Markedness
• 5.2 Features of Wide Distribution
• 5.3 Wide Distribution on Syntactic Level
• 5.4 Cognitive Motivation of Wide Distribution in Semantic Acceptability of Syntactic Constructions
• 5.4.1 Wide Distribution of Transitive Constructions
• Chapter 6 Conclusion
• 6.1 Conclusion
• 6.2 Enlightenment of the Present Study
• 6.3 Problems Unsolved and Further Work
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• Acknowledgements