英语否定句嬗变的认知研究

论文摘要

众所周知，否定句是人类交际过程中十分重要甚至可以说是必不可少的句型。自柏拉图时期以来，否定句就是许多学者著作中论述的话题。但是已有的对英语否定句的研究大多数聚焦于现代英语中否定句的语义特征和句法形式，却很少注意到英语否定句的历史发展变化和这些发展变化产生的认知理据，这种现象在中国更是如此。为了弥补这一研究上的不足，本文对英语否定句进行了历时研究，旨在发现英语否定句在由古英语到现代英语这个发展过程中的变化规律，并从认知的角度对这些变化规律做出解释。在对英语否定句的历时研究中，本文通过收集大量的例句，对古英语、中古英语以及现代英语三个时期英语否定句的句法特征进行了较为全面的考察和认真细致的分析比较，结果显示英语否定旬在由古英语到现代英语的发展过程中经历了否定标记由弱变强和否定标记由后向前转移两种变化。文章继而从认知的视角出发对英语否定句所经历的否定标记由弱变强和否定标记由后向前转移这两种变化规律做出了解释。文章指出，英语否定句中否定标记由弱变强和否定标记由后向前转移这两种变化规律都是受突显观这一认知规律支配的结果。文章认为，否定句是一种有标记句式，否定词即为否定句的标记，英语否定句中否定标记由弱变强和否定标记由后向前转移即是为了突显否定标记所表达的否定概念，进而满足人类普遍的根据标识认知的认知需求，最终达到认知的省力效果。

论文目录

• 摘要
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Previous Studies on the Negative Clause in English
• 1.1 Synchronic Studies on the Negative Clause in English
• 1.2 Diachronic Studies on the Negative Clause in English
• 1.3 Comments on the Previous Studies
• 1.4 Summary
• Chapter 2 Theoretical Foundations
• 2.1 The Prominence View
• 2.2 The Markedness Theory
• 2.3 Prominence and Markedness
• 2.3.1 The Prominence of Marked Structures
• 2.3.2 The Prominence of Marker
• 2.4 Summary
• Chapter 3 The Negative Clause in Modern English
• 3.1 Definition of the Negative Clause
• 3.2 The Criteria of Determining the Negative Clause
• 3.3 Negators and the Negative Clause
• 3.3.1 Absolute Negators and the Negative Clause
• 3.3.2 Relative Negators and the Negative Clause
• 3.4 Types of Negative Clauses in Modern English
• 3.4.1 General Negative Clauses
• 3.4.2 Special Negative Clauses
• 3.5 Summary
• Chapter 4 The Development of the Negative Clause in English
• 4.1 The Reinforcement of the Negator
• 4.1.1 The Phonetic Reinforcement of the Negator
• 4.1.2 The Syntactic Reinforcement of the Negator
• 4.2 The Forward Shifting of the Negator
• 4.2.1 The Shifting of Not from the Postverbal Position to the Preverbal Position
• 4.2.2 The Shifting of Not from Subordinate Clauses to Main Clauses
• 4.2.3 The Shifting of Negative Adverbials from the Posterior Position to the Head of the Clause
• 4.3 Summary
• Chapter 5 The Prominence View and the Development of the Negative Clause in English
• 5.1 The Negative Clause as a Marked Structure
• 5.2 Prominence and Markers of Negation
• 5.3 Prominence and the Reinforcement of Markers of Negation
• 5.3.1 Prominence and the Phonetic Reinforcement of Markers of Negation
• 5.3.2 Prominence and the Syntactic Reinforcement of Markers of Negation
• 5.4 Prominence and the Forward Shifting of Markers of Negation
• 5.4.1 Prominence and the Shifting of Not from the Postverbal Position to the Preverbal Position
• 5.4.2 Prominence and the Shifting of Not from Subordinate Clauses to Main Clauses
• 5.4.3 Prominence and the Shifting of Negative Adverbials from the Posterior Position to the Head of the Clause
• 5.5 Summary
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendix
• Acknowledgements