A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)”
This paper describes the lexicalization processes of the expositive adverb <i>yijing</i> in Chinese, taking the view that the lexicalization of <i>yijing</i> has been achieved by both syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts. There are two key processes: the grammaticalizati...
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/8/2/132 |
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| author | Jiangtao Shen Yu Liu |
| author_facet | Jiangtao Shen Yu Liu |
| author_sort | Jiangtao Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper describes the lexicalization processes of the expositive adverb <i>yijing</i> in Chinese, taking the view that the lexicalization of <i>yijing</i> has been achieved by both syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts. There are two key processes: the grammaticalization of <i>jing</i> is the key factor for reanalysis of the structure <i>yijing</i>. Originally, <i>jing</i> could only be combined with NP. In the structure “<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i> + NP experiences”, <i>jing</i> acquired the context in which it was possible to combine with VP. When the VP was an active situation, <i>jing</i> was grammaticalized into a manner adverb, while when VP was a semelfactive situation, <i>jing</i>, the same with <i>yi</i>, became a state adverb for the past tense and perfect aspect. The lexicalization of <i>yijing</i> contains two processes, namely reanalysis and cohesion. In the structure “<i>yi</i><sub>[relative time]</sub> + <i>jing</i> +VP”, when there were complex elements, it was reanalyzed as “[<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>] + VP”, where <i>yijing</i> functioned as a coordinate structure. If the structure “[<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>] + VP” was in a sufficient conditional clause and the VP was an accomplishment situation, “<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>” in this context acquired the pragmatic function to confirm that an event has happened, but it was still expressing the tense–aspect meanings of the sentence. In the 7th century, when VP was an achievement situation and had a perfective verb in it, <i>yijing</i> no longer bore the tense–aspect function and was specialized into a confirmative expositive adverb for pragmatic function, and the lexicalization processes finished. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:14:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
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| series | Languages |
| spelling | doaj.art-d551730462be4952b54a315a318fbe7e2023-11-18T11:15:43ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2023-05-018213210.3390/languages8020132A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)”Jiangtao Shen0Yu Liu1School of Humanities, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610032, ChinaSchool of Humanities, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610032, ChinaThis paper describes the lexicalization processes of the expositive adverb <i>yijing</i> in Chinese, taking the view that the lexicalization of <i>yijing</i> has been achieved by both syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts. There are two key processes: the grammaticalization of <i>jing</i> is the key factor for reanalysis of the structure <i>yijing</i>. Originally, <i>jing</i> could only be combined with NP. In the structure “<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i> + NP experiences”, <i>jing</i> acquired the context in which it was possible to combine with VP. When the VP was an active situation, <i>jing</i> was grammaticalized into a manner adverb, while when VP was a semelfactive situation, <i>jing</i>, the same with <i>yi</i>, became a state adverb for the past tense and perfect aspect. The lexicalization of <i>yijing</i> contains two processes, namely reanalysis and cohesion. In the structure “<i>yi</i><sub>[relative time]</sub> + <i>jing</i> +VP”, when there were complex elements, it was reanalyzed as “[<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>] + VP”, where <i>yijing</i> functioned as a coordinate structure. If the structure “[<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>] + VP” was in a sufficient conditional clause and the VP was an accomplishment situation, “<i>yi</i> + <i>jing</i>” in this context acquired the pragmatic function to confirm that an event has happened, but it was still expressing the tense–aspect meanings of the sentence. In the 7th century, when VP was an achievement situation and had a perfective verb in it, <i>yijing</i> no longer bore the tense–aspect function and was specialized into a confirmative expositive adverb for pragmatic function, and the lexicalization processes finished.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/8/2/132<i>Yijing</i>adverbialgrammaticalizationlexicalizationpragmaticalization |
| spellingShingle | Jiangtao Shen Yu Liu A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” Languages <i>Yijing</i> adverbial grammaticalization lexicalization pragmaticalization |
| title | A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” |
| title_full | A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” |
| title_fullStr | A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” |
| title_short | A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “<i>Yijing</i> (已经)” |
| title_sort | diachronic investigation on the lexical formation and evolution of the chinese adverb i yijing i 已经 |
| topic | <i>Yijing</i> adverbial grammaticalization lexicalization pragmaticalization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/8/2/132 |
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