英语名前定语语序的理据研究

摘要

英语名词前面的定语可以由一个或多个词来充当。例如在名词短语“abeautifulChinesegirl”中存在两个定语，而名词短语“acharmingsmallroundoldbrownFrenchoakwritingdesk”的定语则更加复杂。多个定语的排列顺序是一个研究了多年的话题。中外的许多权威的语言学家诸如Quirk，章振帮，顾嘉祖等都对此进行了描述，然而，以往的许多研究仅仅停留于对语法规律的总结与概括，很少深究规律背后的理据。 认知语言学家致力于从语言外部的因素来解释语言现象。本文从句法结构的一个非常微小的方面——名前定语的排列顺序出发，力求于细微处见精神，发现语言结构后隐藏的理据。 名前定语的排列顺序受到人类认知机制的影响。象似性规律贯穿于定语排序的任何一个方面，是本文的理论基础。 首先，人们倾向于把性质相同或相近的事物放在一起以节约处理信息的能量。限定词(因其是名词短语的一个重要组成部分，故在文中分析)体现了中心词与上下文或说(作)者与听(读)者的关系，与中心词本身的性质无关，因此离中心词最远。其他词性的修饰语例如形容词，分词和名词性修饰语的排列顺序也遵循与名词数量关系最近的词离名词近的原则排列。本文详细分析了各个词类的数量特征，并以此为根据得出不同词性在名前定语中的排列顺序。 其次，性质稳定的修饰语比性质易变的修饰语更接近中心词。在多个形容词做定语的结构中，层级性形容词的性质比非层级性形容词的性质易变，因此离中心词远。本文根据形容词的特点用层级性的程度(degreesofgradability)将形容词以量化方式标出其层级性程度的值，得出一个初步结论：层级性强的形容词比层级性弱的形容词远离中心语。 最后，名前定语的排列体现人类的共同认知机制既由事物的外部性质到内部性质的认知顺序。

目录

文摘

英文文摘

原创性声明及本论文使用授权说明

Chapter one Introduction of the paper

Ⅰ. Nouns and noun phrases

Ⅱ. Types of attributes

1 .Prenominal attributes

2. Postnominal attributes

Ⅲ. Some preliminaries

1. Our standing point: non-arbitrariness of linguistic sign

2. Structuralism vs. cognitive linguistics

3. Previous study

Ⅳ. Overview of the paper

Chapter two Iconicity in the sequence of EPA

Ⅰ. What is iconicity

Ⅱ. Types of iconicity

1.Sequencing iconicity

2.Proximity iconicity

Ⅲ. Principles of proximity iconicity

1 .Togetherness

2. Conceptual distance

Ⅳ. Motivation in determiners

1. Determiners

2. Determiners versus modifiers

3. Iconicity in determiners

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Chapter three Quantitative features of EPA and their placement

Ⅰ. Introduction

Ⅱ. The importance of quantitative features of concepts

Ⅲ. Quantitative features of the categories of Noun, Adjective and Verb

1. Quantitative features of nouns

2. Quantitive features of adjectives

3. Quantitative features of verbs

Ⅳ. Sequence of EPA and quantitative features

1. Adjectival participles and nominal participles

2. Adjective of discreteness precedes Adjective of continuity

3. Denominal adjectives

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Chapter four Placement of adjectives

Ⅰ. General sequence of adjectives

1. Adjectives of subjectivity precede those of objectivity

2. From generality to specificity, from exteriority to interiority

Ⅱ. Traditional classification of adjectives

1. Gradable adjectives

2. Ungradable adjectives

Ⅲ. Implied comprehension traits of gradable adjectives

1. Subjectivity

2. Relativity

3. Cultural variation

Ⅳ. Degrees of gradability

1. Fuzzy set (boundary) theory and its extension

2. Calibrations toward the degrees of gradaility

3. Illustration

Ⅴ. Conclusion

1. Two polarities and gradability levels

2. Inconsistency in color terms

Chapter five The influence of cognitive mechanism on the sequence of EPA

Ⅰ. From exteriority to interiority: universal cognitive strategy

Ⅱ. Similarity in cognitive mechanism leads to similarity in language structures

Ⅲ. Difference in cognitive mechanism leads to difference in language structures

Chapter six Conclusion and suggestions for further study

Ⅰ. Conclusion

Ⅱ. Suggestions for further study

Bibliography

Acknowledgements