语义级差 ——语言等级意义的综合研究

论文摘要

本论文旨在对语义级差进行综合系统的研究,论述语义级差的本质、定义、作用、功能、根源、实现渠道及其分类。范畴化划定了范畴成员。范畴成员具有范畴中的自身层次、模糊界限和中心化身份;范畴也会表明范畴成员间的强度差异。这使得范畴成员间产生级差性。语义级差在范畴内产生意义,而范畴要借助语义级差来区分范畴成员的不同层次。基本层次和原型范畴是产生语义级差的基础。这些级差意义的产生与人类的认知机制是吻合的。情态表达肯定和否定两极间的中间度。情态一向被用来表达人的判断、不确定性、可能性、通常性、义务和意愿等级。当要表达级差性人际意义时,情态会被用来划定意义的不同等级。言据性作为信息或知识的来源划分成眼见来源、耳听来源和推测来源。据素作为言据性的语言表达方式,按照相关信息源的可信度形成级差。采用言据性意味着要表达命题具有事实性的不同等级和意义的级差性。评价体系作为分析语篇人际意义的理论框架可细分成态度系统、介入系统和级差系统。态度系统解释人类对世界的理解和情感反应,为评价提供素材和思想。介入系统解释观点和情感的来源。借助级差系统,情感、判断和鉴赏可用不同强度来评价。级差的语言实现形式主要是特定评价范畴中语义相近的词汇。除此之外,程度加强词、模糊聚焦词、增强词、评价性句型和语境评价都在不同层面表达级差意义。人类的交际活动都会带有不同程度的自控和隐含。梯级含义,作为数量含义,通过计算级差要素而推理出的含义。在交际过程中,说话人会表达信息量少的命题,同时否定含有信息大的命题,由此产生梯级含义。当选定并表达级差上的某个数值时,其它数值就被同时否定。级差意味着等级的再划分,也就是等级的多数值性。隐喻映射出不同概念域间的意义关联性。由于隐喻意义和语言表层语义的不同,就会产生意义的不同层次,从而产生意义强度的级差性。因为人类想象的参与,隐喻意义比平白语言意义更有色彩、更丰富、更形象、更深奥且更有启发性。这就会突出隐喻的修辞色彩,而准确意义却变得模糊。由此,字面意义和隐喻意义在表达上呈现不同的准确性。隐喻语言的模糊性和语言字面意义的准确性构成意义的级差性,表明在表达准确度上的级差性和交际过程中人们的想象力。借助于语义级差,人们可以用明晰的命名术语和近似性等级来描述世界万象。通过人类认知和思想表达的一切内容都具有主观性特征。主观性扩大了命题和事实间的距离,从而产生客观性和主观性间的渐变等级。语言的经济性体现为人类用相对少的语言形式来传递大量的信息。语义级差因其自身的级差属性恰好节省了语言空间,同样起到传递信息的功能。表达语义的不同等级是为了满足不同层次语境交际的需要。在现实交际语境中,人们会调节语义和语言的等级,从而产生级差意义。通过语法化过程,级差修饰词或级差结构被赋予级差意义。语义级差是人类认知中的普遍特性,用来表达语言意义的不同等级。语义级差可分为明晰级差和隐含级差。明晰级差的体现方式包括评价语言、情态和言据性;而隐含级差的体现方式是梯级含义和隐喻。语义级差的成因包括人类的主观性、命名需要、语言经济性、语法化和交际语境。

论文目录

• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• 摘要
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• 1.1 Nature and Definition of Gradability and Graduation
• 1.2 Research Origin
• 1.3 Research Questions
• 1.4 Purpose of the Research
• 1.5 Dissertation Arrangement
• Chapter 2 Gradability and Categorization
• 2.1 Categorization
• 2.1.1 Basic Level Hypothesis
• 2.1.2 Prototypical Categorization
• 2.2 Categorization and Gradability
• 2.2.1 Categorization and Priming
• 2.2.2 Categorization and Attributes
• 2.2.3 Membership and Degree
• 2.3 Summary
• Chapter 3 Gradability and Metafunction
• 3.1 Language and Metafunctions
• 3.2 Networking of Metafunctions
• 3.2.1 Ideational Function
• 3.2.2 Interpersonal Function
• 3.2.3 Textual Function
• 3.3 Modality and Gradable Meaning
• 3.4 Summary
• Chapter 4 Gradability and Evidentiality
• 4.1 Evidentiality
• 4.2 Classification of Evidentiality
• 4.3 Evidentiality and Proposition
• 4.4 Evidential and Gradability
• 4.4.1 Degree of Reliability
• 4.4.2 Belief
• 4.4.3 Inference
• 4.4.4 Sensory Evidence
• 4.4.5 Expectation
• 4.4.6 Hearsay Evidential
• 4.5 Evidentiality in Text
• 4.6 Summary
• Chapter 5 Graduation in Appraisal System
• 5.1 Appraisal System
• 5.2 Attitudinal System
• 5.2.1 Affect
• 5.2.2 Judgment
• 5.2.3 Appreciation
• 5.2.4 Interrelations of Affect, Judgment and Appreciation
• 5.3 Engagement
• 5.3.1 The Dialogic Nature of Discourse
• 5.3.2 Projection
• 5.3.3 Modality
• 5.3.4 Concession
• 5.4 Graduation System
• 5.4.1 Types of Graduation
• 5.4.2 The Linguistic Devices for Graduation and Its Cognitive Basis
• 5.5 Appraisal System and Interpersonal Function
• 5.6 Evaluation and Cognition
• 5.7 Summary
• Chapter 6 Gradability and Scalar Implicature
• 6.1 Implicature
• 6.1.1 Conventional Implicature and Conversational Implicature
• 6.1.2 Meaning Classification
• 6.1.3 Features of Conversational Implicature
• 6.2 Scalar Implicature
• 6.2.1 Narrowing
• 6.2.2 Broadening
• 6.2.3 Linguistic Accounts on Scalar Implicature
• 6.3 Relevance
• 6.3.1 Contextual Effect
• 6.3.2 Processing Effort
• 6.4 Summary
• Chapter 7 Gradability and Metaphor
• 7.1 Nature of Metaphor
• 7.2 Mechanism of Metaphor
• 7.2.1 Conceptual Metaphor
• 7.2.2 Conventional Metaphor
• 7.2.3 Mapping
• 7.3 Metaphor and Value
• 7.4 Metaphor and Creativity of Language
• 7.5 Gradability via Metaphor
• 7.6 Summary
• Chapter 8 Initiators of Gradability
• 8.1 Sense and Naming
• 8.1.1 Communication
• 8.1.2 Sense and Language
• 8.1.3 Naming in Gradability
• 8.2 Gradability and Subjectivity
• 8.2.1 Subjectivity
• 8.2.2 Subjectivisation
• 8.2.3 Subjectivity and Language
• 8.2.4 Subjectivity by Gradability
• 8.3 Gradability and Economy
• 8.3.1 Economy in English Language
• 8.3.2 Origin of Economy
• 8.3.3 Gradable Meaning and Economy of Language
• 8.4 Gradability and Context
• 8.4.1 Context
• 8.4.2 Contextual Components
• 8.4.3 Dynamic Context
• 8.4.4 Degree of Communicative Meaning in Context
• 8.5 Gradability and Grammaticalization
• 8.5.1 Grammaticalization
• 8.5.2 Process of Grammaticalization
• 8.5.3 Grammaticalization of Even
• 8.5.4 Grammaticalization of Stance Adverbs and Degree Modifiers
• 8.6 Summary
• Chapter 9 Insights on Gradability
• 9.1 Major Findings
• 9.2 Implications and Applications
• 9.3 Limitations and Suggestions
• Bibliography