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A Contrastive Study of the Ordering of Premodifiers in English and Chinese Nominal Constructions in a Cognitive Perspective

Author: GaoJuan
Tutor: NiuBaoYi
School: Henan University
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: Pre-modifier word order Salience Cognitive processing Spreading activation network model
CLC: H314
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2009
Downloads: 253
Quote: 1
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Abstract

Cognitive syntax highlight theory and spreading activation model, the theoretical basis of a comparative study on the similarities and differences between the number of pre-the attributive word order of English and Chinese noun structure from a cognitive perspective. This article aims to analyze and explain the following question: how the distribution of a number of pre-modifier is in the structure of the English and Chinese noun? Similarities and differences between the pre-modifier word order in the two languages? How to explain these similarities and differences from a cognitive perspective? Long-term Since the pre-modifier word order has been domestic and foreign linguists concern and discussion. The predecessors of the field of linguistics has made a huge contribution to their pre-modifier word order research focuses on the interpretation of the classification, description, syntax, semantics and functions. Review and summary of the theory of the predecessors, the author attempts to uniform interpretation and analysis of the similarities and differences between English and Chinese noun structure of a number of pre-the attributive word order of from a cognitive perspective. Collected and the analysis of the semantic and syntactic categories pre-modifier in the descriptive text, the author summed up the similarities and differences of the the front the attributive word order of the English-Chinese number. English and Chinese on the number of pre-modifier as a whole broadly follow a similar word order, that is, the two languages ??in accordance with the first limited and then describe the final classification of the order to arrange pre-modifier word order, and the difference is mainly reflected in the table nationality, time and place pre-modifier. Of combined Langacker (1987) to cognitive the diffusion activation semantic concept the syntax highlighting concepts and Collins and Loftus (1975) proposed network model, make a uniform interpretation of the similarities and differences of English and Chinese word order of a number of pre-modifier. Cognitive Grammar, highlight that the focus of attention. Process of cognitive and observe things, attention is often focused on certain aspects of the object, i.e. highlight the degree of the higher part of the other is a relatively low degree of highlight portion. Contains a number of pre-attributive noun structure, the highlight of the pre-modifier is not identical. Actual corpus analysis, the authors draw close to the center of language front attributive highlight the relatively high degree of conclusion. Then, they have different highlight the degree of pre-modifier is how it is perceived and processed it? Borrowed the semantic concept proposed by Collins and Loftus (1975) spreading activation network model, the recognition of a number of pre-attributive word order known process explain. The authors argue that the semantic concept of the structure of the noun formed a central word as the center of the network, when people cognitive certain things, the central word corresponding to the concept of nodes in the human brain is activated, then activate along The connection between the node and other nodes spread around. The concept represented by the number of pre-modifier node connected with the node of the representative of the center of the word, but the activation of the differences in the order of priority. Highlight the highest node tend priority is activated, that is closest to the center word pre-modifier to reflect the characteristics of the nature of things. Along the connection and then activate pass to Salience lower node that is farther away from the center of the word to reflect external characteristics of things and even pre epitaxial attributive. Current corresponding to the concept of all-modifier is activated, the cognitive processing of this thing will be over, said it reached a consensus on the living and obedient people describe things. English and Chinese a number of pre-the attributive word order of some differences can still be different with Salience can be explained. When certain pre-modifier front or rear to a special position, they highlight the degree will be decreased or increased, will change its semantic category and function, usually caused structural semantic noun changes. However, the attributive word order for variation, it is difficult to just use a cognitive rule analysis. Because the word order is subject to a variety of factors, a complex linguistic phenomenon, we can not just in certain areas to seek a thorough answer. The authors found that the addition to cognitive factors, pre-modifier word order by voice, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic factors, but the role played by each of these factors varies. Cognitive factors explanatory, do not participate in the decision of which one is selected synonymous grammatical structure, only to explain the structure of the linear array; semantics is decisive, but only in the case of standard word order will semantics according; voice and syntactic factors is mandatory, voice and syntactic rules have priority; the pragmatics selective, it is involved in the decision of which one is selected synonymous grammatical structure, usually up to the special communicative effects. Highlight concept can also be used to explain other types of pre-modifier, front attributive word order has a great theoretical and practical significance.

A Contrastive Study of the Ordering of Premodifiers in English and Chinese Nominal Constructions in a Cognitive Perspective

Abstract

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