动词的词汇语义与论元表达之关系——兼谈动词意义的原型效应和家族相似性

On the Relationship Between the Lexical Meaning of Verbs and Their Argument Realization

本文借鉴词汇语义学的研究成果讨论汉语动词与论元表达之间的关系。文章认为:动词的词汇语义在一定程度上决定了论元的句法表达,在此基础上分析了动词意义的原型效应及家族相似性。动词句法环境的变化,特别是论元配置变化与动词意义的变化密切相关。一个动词的某一语义因素不会在该动词所有的论元配置变化中都表现出来。动词会随着论元配置变化而逐渐增加它的意义,从而产生动词多义现象。动词意义是一个原型范畴,不同动词成员之间在意义方面存在着家族相似性。动词意义家族相似性的突出表现就是,语言中动词的意义存在着复杂的交叉跨类现象,基本语义类不同的动词存在着“大异小同”,基本语义类相同的动词成员之间存在着“大同小异”。不同动词成员在意义上存在着相互关联,从而形成非常复杂的语义网络。

This paper explores into the interrelationships between the lexical meaning of verbs and their argument alternations as instanced by some Chinese verbs, trying to reveal the semantic factors of these verbs as shown in argument realization. It argues that syntactic environment is closely related to verb meaning, which may increment with argument alternations; hence the polysemy of verbs. Verb meaning is usually a prototypical category, and there is family resemblance of meaning between the family members.